It’s Over for the Bears, Rex
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by LMedina86
When I saw the Breaking News feature in the bottom right hand corner of my TV screen, I knew it was over. And after the Chicago Bears lost their Thursday night showdown against the Washington Redskins, I knew it was over, two fold.
The Super Bowl runner-up curse is back after a one-year hiatus. The Bears loss moved them to 5-8 and virtually eliminated them from a playoff spot, and again showed the Bears weaknesses.
I understand how much health plays an issue, but as foolish as their baseball counterparts (the Cubs) were to rely on Kerry Wood and Mark Prior, the Bears are just as foolish by relying on safety Mike Brown to be healthy for an entire year.
Brown is one of the more influential players on the Bears defense, if not the most. As good as Brian Urlacher, Lance Briggs and Tommie Harris are, Bears fans can see the impact that a player like Brown can have on the defense. And no, Adam Archuleta is not a viable back-up. The Monsters of the Midway are playing more like kitty cats.
Cedric Benson was the fourth pick in the 2005 NFL Draft and looked like he would be the real deal coming out of the University of Texas which has produced quality running backs such as Ricky Williams and Priest Holmes. Unfortunately, Benson has been a bust and gives the Bears another hole on the offensive side of the ball.
Benson’s lack of production on the NFL level would make any fan take a look back and see who the Bears should have drafted. Of course, hindsight is 20/20 but the Bears could have had a defensive stud like Shawne Merriman (drafted 12 th by San Diego).
Believe it or not, it could have been worse for the Bears who could have also picked the injury prone running back Cadillac Williams or bust wide receivers Troy Williamson or Mike Williams.
Or it could have been cornerback Adam ‘Pac Man’ Jones who seemingly has as many Vegas-related headlines as Elvis, but not in a good way. On the other hand, Jones’ addition to the Chicago party scene could have brought “making it rain” to the Windy City.
WHAT ABOUT REX?
I’ve been a Rex Grossman supporter since day one, but it’s time to move on. Whether it has been injuries or poor play, Rex has not proven that he can be a starting quarterback in the NFL. It’s a shame, because he still has a rocket for an arm that could provide a deep threat for any NFL team.
Unfortunately, it’s his short-to-mid-range game that is lacking. That is where he makes his mistakes. That, and the fumbling.
Rex was supposed to be the great QB hope. In high school, he threw 97 touchdowns and was named Indiana’s Mr. Football in 1998. At the University of Florida, Grossman was a Heisman runner-up and threw for 77 touchdowns in his college career.
Unfortunately, Rex hasn’t come close to putting up those numbers in the NFL, and that is one of the reasons he soon will be out the Halas Hall doors as the Bears will again be searching for the next Sid Luckman.
Grossman was drafted with the 22 nd pick of the 2003 NFL Draft, another place where Bears fans can look at what could have been. Even though some will knock the Bears selection of Grossman, you could not have predicted what is going on now, back in 2003.
They owned the 14th and 22nd picks a draft that could prove to be where the Bears made their biggest mistake. Again, hindsight is 20/20 but with the 14th pick the Bears could have drafted safety Troy Polamalu. With the 22nd pick the Bears could have drafted running backs Willis McGahee or Larry Johnson, or even tight end Dallas Clark.
With all that said, it is time to do the unthinkable, give Kyle Orton a chance. Or in even more of a stretch, let’s see what Chris Leak could do. It couldn’t be worse than what Grossman or Brian Griese have done.
In the off-season, the Bears must figure out how they will solve their QB conundrum. For example, they could draft a quarterback in the first round. Kentucky’s Andre Woodson or Hawaii’s Colt Brennan could be good selections. Too bad Tim Tebow is only a sophomore.
The Bears could also find themselves making a trade and possibly bringing Donovan McNabb home to Chicago.
Don’t get it twisted; the Bears problems don’t end with the quarterback. But you can’t ignore the most important position on the field. If the Bears are going to make postseason (and it's likely they won't), they need to run the table, get some help and bench Grossman for the rest of the season.
