Spotty, rusty -- Rex's own call

Spotty, rusty -- Rex's own call
November 10, 2008
BY MIKE MULLIGAN mmulligan@suntimes.com

There was no defiant spike, no game ball and no talk of a Rexcue.

Maybe the question that best summed up Rex Grossman's performance in a 21-14 loss to Tennessee on Sunday came when Bears coach Lovie Smith was asked if he ever considered benching the quarterback. With Kyle Orton unable to play other than in an emergency role handing off out of the shotgun, that seemed a bit harsh. Translated, it meant did Smith consider undrafted rookie Caleb Hanie a better option at any point?

''No,'' Smith said. ''At the end of the game, we were in position to win. With Rex there, that's what we were able to do. You have to let him work through some of the things. There were a lot of things going on today. Rex had a little bit to do with it some of the time, but there were so many other things that we could have done to help ourselves.''

Grossman overshot Devin Hester on a deep ball that might have changed the game, and was not very accurate on some other throws.

''It was spotty at times,'' Grossman said of his performance. ''There were some opportunities out there to make some plays and for whatever reason, that was the big difference in the game.''

Grossman was a victim of bad field position all day. The Bears' average starting point was their own 21, and five times they began possessions at or inside their own 10. A succession of failures on third down didn't help them get out of the shadow of their own goalpost. And punter Brad Maynard didn't have his best game.

''We couldn't flip the field position,'' Grossman said. ''But they're a good defense. Again, we missed plays we normally make -- crucial third downs we normally convert.''

Grossman completed 20 of 37 passes for 173 yards with a touchdown and an interception for a 64.4 passer rating. Running back Matt Forte had seven of the catches for 54 yards, including a five-yard touchdown pass. Grossman also scored on a quarterback sneak.

Offensive coordinator Ron Turner said the Bears struggled to find rhythm despite opening with a 14-play, 75-yard scoring drive. The Titans' vaunted defense held the Bears to just one first down on six drives bridging the second and third quarters.

''It's a very good team, there's no weaknesses and they're very sound with what they do defensively ... consistency is the key,'' Turner said. ''To be 9-0, to be one of the elite teams in the league, you have to play at a high level on a consistent basis -- and these guys do.''

Still, Grossman admitted he was feeling rusty.

''A little bit, but again, that's no excuse,'' he said. ''There were plays to be made that all of us probably wish we would have had back. I was thinking of three or four I wish we would have had back that would have helped drives go or that big play to Devin -- but those weren't made, and the result is we lost.''




http://www.suntimes.com/sports/mulligan/1270167,CST-SPT-mside10.article