So today, word leaked to the media by the way of many insider sources that the Bears will elect to go with backup Brian Griese as their starter this Sunday. Part of me hopes that when the Bears staff holds their press conference tomorrow, that they dispel the reports that began circulating today and that ESPN will once again have egg all over its face for shoddy journalism. On the other hand, if that scenario were to materialize, I'd also have to confront the sobering reality that Rex Grossman will be my team's starting quarterback once again. The only thing I have been less enthusiastic about is getting kicked in the nuts.
Not that I hold Rex responsible for the Bears current 1-2 record. I know, it's convenient to pile up on him because he makes it so easy. And it's so easy because he has made sucking such a spectacle. I have watched my fair share of bad QB's on the Bears, Jim Miller and Cade McNown weren't exactly world beaters. I don't know that Grossman is even the worst either, he just makes an awfully great case for himself.
But the reality is this, this is a Bears offense that is unbalanced and has put undue pressure on a QB who has shown repeatedly that he is not equipped to carry such a heavy load. Benching Grossman will not be an immediate remedy for everything. Look at Cedric Benson, who the Bears invested a #4 pick in to revive their running game. He has had trouble staying healthy, and is notoriously slow to start games. Anytime a QB hits a wall, it is always nice to have a consistent running game to keep defenses honest, but thus far Benson has been just as unreliable in providing this safety net. He certainly deserves some of the blame that is going around.
The reason why benching Grossman will change things in my opinion, is that it will allow the players to focus on playing rather than being hounded by reporters about the trials and tribulations of their quarterback. While the team has been very good about presenting a united front and not throwing Grossman under the bus when they easily could have, it also gets tiring. I'd imagine that from a receivers' standpoint, you play the best when you have full confidence in your QB (see Moss, Randy), and it's hard to develop the requisite confidence when everyone tells you that your QB sucks. Or when the QB doesn't do his part in deflecting the unwanted attention. Either way, when the QB does mess up it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.
If anything, this move will allow Bears fans to see that there are also other factors in play. The offensive line, though solid, is not getting any younger and has gone two consecutive offseasons without seeing any additions. And while Bernard Berrian is a burgeoning young talent, the Bears at this time also do not have the play makers at the receiver position to help make the QB look less sucky. And while I'd take the Bears defense against any other defense in the NFL, they are not immune to the injury bug as we have seen this year. So in essence all the things needed to mask the weaknesses of a shaky QB are not there for Grossman either (unlike say Ben Roethlisberger or Steve McNair).
Hey, we're 1-2 this year with 2 defensive starters expected to miss significant time and 2 that are done for the season. There is no better time than now to make this change. After all, any Bears fan with a modicum of sensibility knows that it's not going to change drastically. The man who we're calling on for help is Brian Griese, who was replaced by Jake Plummer of all people in Denver. Believe me, my expectations are very very tempered...anything else from here on out, will be icing on the cake.
