Grossman’s Father Knows Best
Published by Johnny D on November 23, 2009
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Chicago Bears
Recently Rex Grossman made headlines again in Chicago. It seemed just like old times. The bears were under .500. They had a quarterback that was giving the ball away like he was handing out Christmas gifts at an orphanage.
But there was something different. Rex wasn’t the one throwing the picks. Grossman was hundreds of miles away from Soldier Field. It was another Mr. Grossman creating the headlines for his son in Chicago.
Rex Grossman’s father was implicating the Chicago Bears front office as a failure.
Guess what? He was completely right!
Remember when Rex was the savior of the franchise? It was an exciting time for the Bears. They had their gunslinger quarterback that could change the game with a single throw.
Hey, Bears fans, does this sound familiar? 3227 yards 18 TD’s and 13 Interceptions (decent yet not spectacular) And then of course we all remember the following year watching the misery of a QB throwing 32% more interceptions than touchdowns.
You watched it Bears Fans. I know what you might be thinking. Rex had to go!!
Only these weren’t the numbers for the former Bears quarterback. They were the first two years (as a starter) of statistics for another quarterback in the NFC North. His name… Brett Favre.
Everyone is correct in saying that Brett Favre did a good job throughout his career of making his receivers better. But let me point this out to you. Before Rex… Bernard Berrian was merely a very fast receiver. Just a couple of years after Rex… he’s almost an afterthought. Only he has a hall of fame quarterback throwing him the ball now. But while he was being thrown the ball by Rex, he was earning a reputation as a big money player.
My thesis is this. Rex Grossman really was not the problem. In fact, I believe that he could have been a part of the solution.
A quarterback that can have as many games with a quarterback rating over 100 as Grossman did in one season can definitely play. Two seasons, even three seasons as a starter do not point to success or failure in a quarterback’s career.
All this points to three specific problems for the 2006 NFC Champs.
1. Bears fans may be the most impatient fans in the NFL.
It’s not completely their fault. There has not been a franchise quarterback since a guy named Sid Luckman. They are tired of the same old problem at quarterback. The fans there do create a pressure cooker for a quarterback that is enormous. And the desire to have a winning franchise causes the panic meter to go from zero to 60 in 2 interceptions.
2. There are severe problems in the front office. I don’t need to list all the first round busts who have walked through Halas Hall. Their ineptitude comes to a head more recently with the Jay Cutler move.
Getting Cutler was not the problem, but why would you throw away all of those draft picks on a quarterback when your nucleus is getting older and older. Say what you will about the Patriots, but they know when to do business. Trading an aging Richard Seymour while he still had great trade value was a stroke of genius.
I recommended trading a beloved, yet aging and injury prone Brian Urlacher in the deal to save some of those draft picks. It would have been nice to have been able to pick up a wide receiver or offensive lineman in this years draft. Instead Chicago is left with no draft picks AND no Brian Urlacher.
The front office problem was only magnified by the trade made with the Bucs. Why would you trade a second rounder for a former first round draft pick turned bust?
3. The coaching staff is making the wrong calls.
Guess what Lovie? You don’t have to get off the bus running.
And what did you expect from an offensive coordinator who gets fired from the University of Illinois? Some good college coaches fail as an NFL coach (see Dave Wannstedt at Pittsburgh this year), but watching a struggling college coach get a gig with a storied NFL team is a little confusing.
And defensive coordinator Bob Babich managed to take the fire right out of a dominate defense.
Why is it again that they let Ron Rivera go?
Rex, you are owed an apology. Instead of being cultivated, you were cut down. Rather than being allowed to grow, you were vilified. The gluttony of finger pointing was rightfully there. It was just pointed in the wrong direction.
In this case, your father really does know best.
And to the Bears loyal following, it’s time for Jerry and Lovie to ride off into the sunset before they ruin another career.
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