[CBFF] Shotgun part of plan to aid Grossman's development

[Tom Shannon]

Shotgun part of plan to aid Grossman's development
By Larry Mayer

CHICAGO - Like a blitzing linebacker on third-and-long, Ron Turner knew that
it was coming.

The only thing that surprised the Bears offensive coordinator was that he
wasn't asked about the shotgun formation until 30 minutes had elapsed during
a seminar Sunday at the fan convention.

 
Rex Grossman threw 23 touchdown passes and 20 interceptions this past
season. 
After joking that he was expecting the issue to be addressed among the first
four questions from fans, Turner revealed that the Bears will implement a
little bit more of the shotgun in 2007. 

The offensive coordinator made the decision after spending countless hours
reviewing tape of Rex Grossman, from the quarterback's first NFL start as a
rookie in 2003 to every snap he took this past season for the NFC champions.

"I went back and looked at all our tape by myself before we met as an
offensive staff," Turner said. "I watched all our games and all the passes
and everything Rex did. I also went back and looked at every play that he
had in the NFL prior to this year just to see if I could pick up anything
that's going to help. 

"That was one of the things I have in my notes; that we do need to implement
(the) shotgun, that that is something that would help him a little bit. It
won't be a drastic change to what we do offensively, but we will go to some
shotgun, especially more in the third down situations. You will see more of
that."

Studying the tape, Turner discovered that Grossman's well-documented
struggles came primarily when he retreated and threw off his back foot.
Earlier in the season when he was named NFC Offensive Player of the Month in
September, Grossman consistently stepped up to deliver the ball. 

"When he got back in the pocket and he didn't like what he saw right away or
his No. 1 read wasn't open, instead of stepping up in the pocket, he got in
the habit of bailing out," Turner said. 

"That's not really what we want. All our protections are based on stepping
up in the pocket, and then if something breaks down, get out of the pocket
and attack the line of scrimmage and try to make something happen. 

"It was a habit that he got in, but he worked hard on it late in the year
and he got better. If you watch the last three or four games, he was much
better as far as stepping up in the pocket."

Turner and new quarterbacks coach Pep Hamilton will focus on those
fundamentals and mechanics with Grossman throughout the offseason and
training camp. 

"That's something we'll work real hard on," Turner said. "When he sets his
feet and steps up, there's nobody in the league who throws it better than
Rex. Where he got in trouble was when he was bailing out and throwing off
his back foot."

Stepping up in the pocket also should make it easier for Grossman to
scramble for positive yards when his receivers are covered, something that
the Bears quarterback appeared reluctant to do last season. 

"That's an area that Rex and I talked about in the offseason and actually
during the season," Turner said. "He started to do a little bit more of that
as the season went on. That's something that he's got to do. 

"If he steps up in the pocket, he'll see those lanes, he'll feel those lanes
and he'll be able to pull it down and run. A two-, three- or four-yard run
is better than forcing the ball or holding onto the ball and taking a sack. 

"That's an area that I think as Rex gets more experience, he'll get better
at being able to tuck the ball and go and get some positive yards when
nothing's there. Then all of a sudden the linebackers have to worry about
that and that's going to open up some other things."

While the Bears remain committed to Grossman after he helped lead them to
the Super Bowl in his first full season as a starter, Turner insisted that
they haven't just handed the No. 1 job to him. Like every other position,
coaches constantly evaluate backup quarterbacks Brian Griese and Kyle Orton
in practice.

"Competition is great," Turner said. "Competition is good for everybody no
matter what field you're in. It is tremendous, and the thing is there is
competition. Rex knows there's competition. He knows he's got to go out and
perform well.

"If we felt at any time that (Griese or Orton) could have done a better job
and could have given us a better chance to win, then maybe we would have
made a change. But Rex is our best quarterback in our mind and he had an
outstanding year."