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Grossman has game to forget for Bears
As a prospective Super Bowl matchup, the Chargers and the Bears were about the best the NFL's first week had to offer. Chicago, the defending NFC champions, and San Diego, coming off a 14-2 season, are each abundantly talented. They each have transcendent superstars.
The difference is at quarterback, where LaDainian Tomlinson proved way more effective than Rex Grossman.
In the third quarter, Tomlinson took an option pitch from Philip Rivers and tossed a 17-yard touchdown to tight end Antonio Gates. He is now 8-for-11 with seven touchdowns in his career. Grossman, by contrast, finished the day 12-for-23 for 145 yards and an interception. His 2007 quarterback rating is 53.7, which is lower than the incredibly low 68.3 he received as a grade in Super Bowl XLI.
On defense, the Bears again look like a Super Bowl team. Perhaps, as my colleague Alex Marvez suggests, they are even stronger up the middle, what with the return of Pro Bowl defensive tackle Tommie Harris. Certainly, they accomplished something rarely (if ever) seen: shutting down the best back in the game. Tomlinson, the reigning MVP, ran for 25 yards on 17 carries — and that included a ten-yard garbage time run to kill the clock in the first half. Sure, Tomlinson caught some short passes. And of course, he threw for what proved to be the game-winning score. But even in defeat, Bears coach Lovie Smith had to acknowledge what his team had done so well: "I liked the way we played the run the whole day, going against the MVP."
Then again, a championship defense is a terrible thing to waste. Same old, same old. The Bears still look like a Super Bowl team lacking a Super Bowl quarterback.
One is struck by the sight of Grossman as he strides to the interview podium. At six-foot-1 (maybe?), he's not the prototypical NFL quarterback, who these days goes six-foot-3, 230-pounds. Grossman isn't much bigger than some of the writers. And unlike most of us writers, he seems like a nice earnest kid, good qualities in a human being. Then again, he has those short arms and regular-sized hands, decidedly bad qualities in a quarterback. So you wonder: how are the Bears ever going back to the Super Bowl with this guy?
"We kind of shot ourselves in the foot," said Grossman. "It just wasn't our day."
The quarterback had a lot of help. His running back, Cedric Benson, fumbled early in the third quarter. The Chargers recovered a punt that glanced off the Bears' Brandon McGowan. Then there was the interception. With Chicago at the San Diego 32, Grossman threw deep for Bernard Berrian, only to have the ball land safely in the arms of safety Marlon McCree. Berrian didn't even look back for the ball, meaning that somebody — either the receiver or the quarterback — screwed up royally.
"It's hard to explain," said Grossman. "It's just unfortunate."
"A good play on their part," said coach Smith.
"I think we just had a miscommunication," said Berrian. "I didn't quit on the play."
When asked what Grossman said after the interception, Berrian said they hadn't yet spoken. When asked if he ran the correct route, Berrian responded without a trace of uncertainty:
"Yes."
It's worth mentioning that Grossman went down hard on the second play from scrimmage. Linebacker Shaun Phillips' blitz inflicted no small amount of pain, leaving the quarterback doubled over.
"I think that Rex didn't realize how fast that pressure was going to be on him," McCree said. "He was looking over his shoulder for the rest of the game, and that played to our advantage."
The shame of all this, at least if you're a Bears fan, is the magnificent defensive effort that was squandered. No one knew this better than Grossman: "Our defense gave us a chance to win this game." True that. Not too many defenses are going to hold LaDainian Tomlinson to 11 yards on 12 carries, as the Bears did in the first half.
In fact, neither offense distinguished itself in a game the Chargers won 14-3. Even on his worst day, though, Tomlinson managed to throw for one more touchdown than Grossman. That's something the Bears might want to think about.
Defense might win championships. But you need a quarterback, too.
As a prospective Super Bowl matchup, the Chargers and the Bears were about the best the NFL's first week had to offer. Chicago, the defending NFC champions, and San Diego, coming off a 14-2 season, are each abundantly talented. They each have transcendent superstars.
The difference is at quarterback, where LaDainian Tomlinson proved way more effective than Rex Grossman.
In the third quarter, Tomlinson took an option pitch from Philip Rivers and tossed a 17-yard touchdown to tight end Antonio Gates. He is now 8-for-11 with seven touchdowns in his career. Grossman, by contrast, finished the day 12-for-23 for 145 yards and an interception. His 2007 quarterback rating is 53.7, which is lower than the incredibly low 68.3 he received as a grade in Super Bowl XLI.
On defense, the Bears again look like a Super Bowl team. Perhaps, as my colleague Alex Marvez suggests, they are even stronger up the middle, what with the return of Pro Bowl defensive tackle Tommie Harris. Certainly, they accomplished something rarely (if ever) seen: shutting down the best back in the game. Tomlinson, the reigning MVP, ran for 25 yards on 17 carries — and that included a ten-yard garbage time run to kill the clock in the first half. Sure, Tomlinson caught some short passes. And of course, he threw for what proved to be the game-winning score. But even in defeat, Bears coach Lovie Smith had to acknowledge what his team had done so well: "I liked the way we played the run the whole day, going against the MVP."
Then again, a championship defense is a terrible thing to waste. Same old, same old. The Bears still look like a Super Bowl team lacking a Super Bowl quarterback.
One is struck by the sight of Grossman as he strides to the interview podium. At six-foot-1 (maybe?), he's not the prototypical NFL quarterback, who these days goes six-foot-3, 230-pounds. Grossman isn't much bigger than some of the writers. And unlike most of us writers, he seems like a nice earnest kid, good qualities in a human being. Then again, he has those short arms and regular-sized hands, decidedly bad qualities in a quarterback. So you wonder: how are the Bears ever going back to the Super Bowl with this guy?
"We kind of shot ourselves in the foot," said Grossman. "It just wasn't our day."
The quarterback had a lot of help. His running back, Cedric Benson, fumbled early in the third quarter. The Chargers recovered a punt that glanced off the Bears' Brandon McGowan. Then there was the interception. With Chicago at the San Diego 32, Grossman threw deep for Bernard Berrian, only to have the ball land safely in the arms of safety Marlon McCree. Berrian didn't even look back for the ball, meaning that somebody — either the receiver or the quarterback — screwed up royally.
"It's hard to explain," said Grossman. "It's just unfortunate."
"A good play on their part," said coach Smith.
"I think we just had a miscommunication," said Berrian. "I didn't quit on the play."
When asked what Grossman said after the interception, Berrian said they hadn't yet spoken. When asked if he ran the correct route, Berrian responded without a trace of uncertainty:
"Yes."
It's worth mentioning that Grossman went down hard on the second play from scrimmage. Linebacker Shaun Phillips' blitz inflicted no small amount of pain, leaving the quarterback doubled over.
"I think that Rex didn't realize how fast that pressure was going to be on him," McCree said. "He was looking over his shoulder for the rest of the game, and that played to our advantage."
The shame of all this, at least if you're a Bears fan, is the magnificent defensive effort that was squandered. No one knew this better than Grossman: "Our defense gave us a chance to win this game." True that. Not too many defenses are going to hold LaDainian Tomlinson to 11 yards on 12 carries, as the Bears did in the first half.
In fact, neither offense distinguished itself in a game the Chargers won 14-3. Even on his worst day, though, Tomlinson managed to throw for one more touchdown than Grossman. That's something the Bears might want to think about.
Defense might win championships. But you need a quarterback, too.
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