Brad Biggs in the SunTimes wrote this today:
Maybe it was the swashbuckling sense he has always had that led him to force a pass to Gabe Reid into double coverage. But that same gunslinging approach was the difference in him deciding against a modest first-down pass to Desmond Clark earlier in the drive and firing a ball in a tighter spot downfield for a 24-yard gain to Rashied Davis.
Before my now infamous Swashbuckle article, I had never seen the term used in a sports article. Is this a coincidence? I'm not sure. But for the time being I'm watching you, Brad Biggs.
#2 jeff said . . .Just google "swashbuckling qb" and you'll soon realize it's used by others as well.
August 19, 2006
#3 jim said . . .i know. the post was a joke. there really is nothing to talk about with that game last night. we learned absolutely nothing about our offense.
August 19, 2006
#4 jeff said . . .What is really starting to be dramatic is that Grossman seems to always go deep whether it's there or not.
Maybe I'm just used to Bears qb's throwing short.
Hey, how hilarious was that 3rd and 8 in the second half when Gage, I think, went only five yards and turned with a defender on his back.
Maybe there's a reason Grossman always throws long.
August 19, 2006
#5 Rob said . . .I like Rex's moxie, you know. But I don't like carelessness from that position. Don't put this defense in short fields and the Bears will have trouble losing games.
August 20, 2006
#6 Tom said . . .Since it will be a topic of conversation all over the media this week, I thought I'd throw in my two cents regarding the QB situation. Rex started out slowly and had a few times where he had some pressure but still made decent throws. He made some bad throws and when you have a couple of drops, it was a bad start. The real key is that the offense just didn't get on the field much during the first half because of Urlachers INT return and Davis' Kickoff return. But the good news is that he seemed to start finding a groove late in the second quarter as he strung a few completions together and looked sharp. It would have been great if it resulted in a TD but instead he made a bad mistake in trying to force a ball into double coverage to Reid which resulted in an INT. Bad way to end. I just can't help but think if he had a few more possessions if he would've "warmed up" and gotten better like he seemed to do in the loss to Carolina last year. He needs to relax more and slow it down--be smarter. I think he can do that, but he needs the reps--which he didn't get enough of last night. You can't blame Rex for that. Greise on the other hand, didn't play long but looked sharp again. It needs to be stressed it was against second teamers which is a big difference (see Orton last preseason). Griese is a vet though and has proven himself so you know he can get the job done if called upon. As for his TD pass, it should be noted that Gage was wide open as the CB on the play totally dropped off. Griese saw it and took advantage of such an easy TD that even my mom could have made--no one was even close to Gage so don't make such a huge deal over it. Overall, Greise in the few chances (4 attempts) looked calm and collected back there--more than Rex did. I agree that Rex will be the starting QB, but the real telltale sign will be next week against the Cardinals. Rex should go the first half and into the 2nd half. He should get plenty of series. If he really flops (i.e. worse than last night) then I think the Bears management will have a tough choice on their hands. But either way, we the fans win because we'll get a pretty good QB either way we go in my opinion.
August 20, 2006
#7 max said . . .I agree with Rob... Rex needs reps, and lots of them. I’ve said it before and I'll say it again, "Rex may become a great QB someday, but he's got a long, long way to go". In other posts, I have had debates over Grossman's stats. Quite honestly, I think they stink to high heaven. Can he improve? I think so, but Rob hit it on the head. Play Grossman as much as you can before the first regular season game. If he gets hurt, at least you have a former Pro Bowler to step in. If he doesn't, we'll see if he can "warm up" and get in the groove. Preseason is the time to tune-up players that aren't quite ready for the regular season. Rex needs a tune-up really badly. So, why not take advantage of the long preseason?
I just got my Private Pilot's license about a year ago. During my training, I made almost every mistake that a pilot could make, except crash the airplane. Today, I have become a pretty good pilot, but I couldn't have ever become such a good pilot if I hadn’t gotten out of the flight simulator and flew a real airplane where I experienced the actual risks that a real pilot faces. Making mistakes in a flight simulator never taught me very much. I’m sure I made lots of mistakes in the simulator. Quite honestly, I don’t remember a single one. But I remember every single little mistake I've ever made in a real airplane. Real experience comes from being in real situations with real risks. Training camp is like training in a flight simulator. Preseason games are like flying solo in a real airplane. Put Rex in the cockpit of a real airplane with real risks, and he'll either crash & burn, or he'll learn how to fly like a pro. Then when he takes the field for the first regular season game, he’ll be ready for the responsibility of flying with passengers onboard, where his success or failure effects the lives of more than just his own.
August 21, 2006
I agree. Rex needs the practice. Put him for the whole game this week. We need to see improvement.
August 22, 2006
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