Dear Kyle,
Hi. My name is Jeff Hughes and I started writing this site a few years back because I really, really like the Chicago Bears. It's caught on a bit in recent times and we're excited about that...but this isn't about me. This is about you.
Thursday you will become the starting quarterback of the Chicago Bears and contrary to the popular assertion of many local writers and more vocal fans, this is not by default. You've earned this opportunity. You earned it by stepping in as an unready rookie in 2005 and putting this team in position to make the playoffs. You earned it by handling your demotion to clipboard carrier with class. You earned it by taking the reins at the end of last season and providing fans with their first back-to-back victories since the previous post-season.
Thursday night is not the opportunity to prove this decision was warranted. That can come over time. What we've waited for is a steadying hand under center and Thursday night you can provide that. Make smart decisions. Make accurate throws. Don't throw the ball to the over team. Why? I'm glad you asked.
Because last season our offense was very reminiscent of poop but here's a statistic I quite like (see if you can follow the logic):
In games where we threw less interceptions than the other team, we were 4-2.
In games where we threw the same number as the other team, we were 2-2.
In games where we threw more, we were 1-5 (beating only a terrible Chiefs team in week two).
Navy blue and burnt, Kyle. Those colors are yours now. And they should also be the colors on the jerseys of the guys you throw the ball to. Any other color is no good. Can't get it there? Throw it to one of the folks cheering you on in the fourth row. Don't worry...we'll throw it right back.
Sincerely,
jeff
#2 enderwiggin said . . .Agreed, Kyle you've earned it buddy! Make the most of it because these opportunities come once in a lifetime... Unless you're Rex Grossman then they come about once a year. Anyway, go Kyle, go Bears and go winning streaks! Woo Hoo!
August 19, 2008
#3 Green Lantern said . . .Great post. I hope he gets support from the Chicago fans
August 19, 2008
#4 Sal OMEL said . . .HERE HERE
go get em kyle, people are writing you off but just stay within yourself, don't try to do too much and you can rack up even more Ws for this team.
you've basically started a season's worth of games (12-6 career) and should have the knowledge of the system and poise to improve.....you're still so young! STAY CONFIDENT (like you) BUT NOT COCKY (like rex). i think you're mostly there already.
August 19, 2008
#5 Z said . . .You Go Orton
Is your chance to make chicago great .
Take us to the superbowl.August 19, 2008
#6 Da Coach said . . .Ok now that that is over for awhile can we please get any kind of depth on the O-line. Shit sign them all, R. Brown, Bentley and F. Miller (ugh) and pick up a cut scrub or two. The O-line will determine if we make the playoffs this year.
August 19, 2008
#7 V in GH said . . .This season still rests on the play of the o-line. Hopefully now that a starter has been named the team can unite behind one guy and go from there.
August 19, 2008
#8 Rancid said . . .Nice one Jeff. I hope he's not color blind..........
Kyle.......... good luck you'll need it bud. Learn the stop, drop, roll technique asap.
August 19, 2008
#9 Phil from SATX said . . ."you earned it by finally showing the maturity to shave off the neckbeard"
August 19, 2008
#10 beardown1982 said . . .Jeff, small point but I'm going to assume that was poetic license because our orange ain't burnt like my Longhorns.
I watched the game again last night, only the offensive series, only the first half. As a Rex supporter and a Kyle non-believer up to that point, I wanted to confirm the decision to myself. Rex had, I think, four series. In those few series we saw a microcosm of all that was bad about Rex. We saw him running backwards away from pressure only to add 6 yards to an already 7 yard sack. We saw him heave off of his back foot because he was panicking in the backfield to miss a wide open tight end. We saw him unaware of a defensive end heading straight toward him ON HIS RIGHT SIDE, resulting in a hit and interception. In his final series, we saw him make an ill-advised 3 yard pass to a tight end who inexplicably only ran a 3 yard pattern when he needed 5. [sidebar - Greg Olsen has been far from brilliant in what I've watched so far - I'd say Kellen Davis has outplayed our 1st rounder significantly]
Did he do anything good? Sure - there were some nice passes in there, and significantly (at least it seemed to me at the time) a very nice look-off right and throw left to Olsen. He got into a little rhythm there, and if not for some great corner play could have had a touchdown (to Hester) and another long completion (I think Bennett, although that ball should have been out in front of Bennett). But the bottom line - all those things mentioned above, no cracking the 50, no points, yet points provided for the other team, twice (once in the interception, once in the running backwards for a sack at the goal line).
Kyle steps in, and generally looks competent. I did notice that Kyle has a shorter drop back and a significantly quicker release - s0 it's not all about Seattle changing their defense on him. Did you notice that Rex takes 3 big steps back OUT OF THE SHOTGUN? Kyle doesn't.
I'm behind you now Kyle, as should every Bear fan. Now don't let me down, okay?
August 19, 2008
#11 beardown1982 said . . .Nice post. I'll be at the game on Thursday night...probably drinking heavily. As bad as the offensive line has looked, I'd say Orton is the safer of the two QBs to pick at this point. Still, this line looks so piss poor, I can't really see how our offense will be any better than it was last year. And if that's the case...my only hope for the year is that the defense plays out of its mind and we battle for a wild card spot.
August 19, 2008
#12 Da Coach said . . .Nice post. I'll be at the game on Thursday night...probably drinking heavily. As bad as the offensive line has looked, I'd say Orton is the safer of the two QBs to pick at this point. Still, this line looks so piss poor, I can't really see how our offense will be any better than it was last year. And if that's the case...my only hope for the year is that the defense plays out of its mind and we battle for a wild card spot.
August 19, 2008
#13 jdawg said . . .Phil your post is very encouraging for KO and Bears fans. We can only hope the offense gets into a smooth flow starting on Thurs night.
Just think for a moment how much more promising this season would be if our O-line had improved and there was a new O-coordinator at the helm.
August 19, 2008
#14 Willie from Chicago said . . .Stoltz has a pretty good breakdown on one of the sack plays Grossman was QB for.
Basically there was a hot read for the blitz, which Seattle was showing with a LB coming. Its the wr's and qb's responsibility to adjust. Lloyd broke his route off into the space vacated by the blitzing LB. Grossman should have taken a 3 step drop and made the quick throw to the wide open Lloyd. Stoltz goes as far as to say the play could have resulted in a TD.
I guess Roy should revisit his attitude about "checkdown Kyle".
August 19, 2008
#15 Willie from Chicago said . . .Im hoping that Kyle works out good for the Bears, he is a solid quarterback but he doesnt bring the flare the Grossman had. When Rex was on, he was a Pro Bowler, when he was off, he blew games, but at least Rex could win you a game, he could take you down the field with 2 minutes to go, Orton cant. Orton isnt going to be leading any game winning drives this season, but he will be consistant.
The Bears this year will maybe go 9-7, barely making the playoffs, but thats all I expect them to do. It saddens me that the Bears wont give Rex another chance.
No Super Bowl this year guys, Sorry....
Bear Down!!!!!
August 19, 2008
#16 Pissed Off said . . .If the Bears are going anywhere this season, then they will have to run the football.
August 19, 2008
#17 Pissed Off said . . .Good post jeff, and yours too phil, it made me laugh, and right now I need that.
If the offensive line doesnt get it together I dont think it'll matter which guy is in there. I really just wish Kyle could make all the throws an NFL QB needs to make, becuase if he could, he might be more than a band-aid. Say bu-bye to the 50+ yard bombs to Hester and Co. and to the deep posts etc. As I recall those accounted for a pretty decent chunk of our TDs the last couple of years. Our only hope is to have solid line play, a good running game and short to intermediate passes for a dink and dunk slow plodding offense. Good luck. I hope I see improvement soon, early in the season, or else I'm going to become a bitter alcoholic.
August 19, 2008
#18 jeff said . . .http://blogs.chicagosports.chicagotribune.com/rosenblog/2008/08/theres-a-sucker.html
This is a good piece, havent seen to many from Rosey. This coaching staffs credibility is horrible. They need a complete overhaul, new coach, new coordinators, everyone.
August 19, 2008
#19 Pissed Off said . . .well i'm not bitter, at least. i think you'll be surprised as to what throws kyle CAN make. again, this guy's reputation coming out of college was big arm and takes too many chances. i think what kyle does is chooses to not take those chances anymore. don't be surprised to see him chuck it down the field quite a bit. this will not be the ko of three years ago.
August 19, 2008
#20 Jimbo said . . .I'm sorry everyone, I'm bitter. I'll get over it so take everything I say for about the next week with a grain of salt. Its just that this coaching staff and Lovie mainly just piss me off. They lied about the competition, they are never straight up with the fans, he's been doing this for a while now. If the competition would have just been fair, and Kyle took hold of the damn thing by performing great, and won the job, I'd respect the decision but this thing was a sham. The deck was stacked against Rex and he really lost the job due to injury. If he hadnt gotten hurt in that Washington game last year he'd have finished strong (maybe with a playoff appearance) and he'd be the starter with no competition this year.
August 19, 2008
#21 jeff said . . .Well Rex loses and Orton wins. I am really dissapointed Rex couldn't step up and win this job, but hey, if hes going to play with this crap O-line and not figure out how to avoid 7, 8, and 10 yard sacks... hes not going to be very useful for us anyway.
Yeah he was close to winning back his starting job last season, but close is only good in horse shoes and hand gernades. Orton is our QB now, so i will give him all the support i can.
On the more positive side, this guy does protect the ball. Hes got more arm than the chad pennington's of the world. He has gotten more accurate, and has more experience. He'll probably go through some growing pains.... i just hope Ron Turner can come up with some type of game plan that plays to Ortons abilities.
Now we need to figure out starting WR.
August 19, 2008
#22 mikebdot said . . .pissed off...i'll say it again...if rex comes out in either of these preseason games and plays great - he wins the job.
August 19, 2008
#23 Pissed Off said . . .I'll ask again, do we want Joe Horn? Not sure if anyone actually responded last time...
http://www.profootballtalk.com/2008/08/19/falcons-release-joe-horn/
He's 36. I don't want him, just wondering. Booker and Horn together would have been cool last time Booker was around, but not this time...
August 19, 2008
#24 BearsTransplant said . . .No interest for Horn IMO. We already have a clusterfuck of mediocre WRs. If I knew he could be Joe Horn of like 3 or 4 years ago then yeah but he aint that guy. Theres a reason he's available.
And Jeff, I hear your point, but he wont get that chance I dont think against SF. Kyle will probably play 3 quarters, Rex gets a drive or two in the late 3rd or 4th and Hanie finishes. No chance to get into rythm. The final game I would think he's gonna get significant time but knowing Lovie he wont give Rex that chance. He wont let him succeed. He'll probably only give Rex one or two drives even in the last game just so he cant "wow" us cuz then Lovie would like an idiot and Lovie is all about protecting Lovie.
August 19, 2008
#25 jeff said . . .Yeah, Horn is pretty much past his prime, and showed zero desire to actually learn the playbook in Atlanta. Just what the Bears need: another WR who runs the wrong route. I'm not really worried about the skill players; I think the Bears have a decent (though not stellar) group.
What we need are lineman. I still can't figure out why we haven't signed LeCharles Bentley yet, he'd be a perfect fit for the ground game, and would make the St. Clair better just by being next to him on the left side. But that would, like, cost money. Who else is even out there? Luke Pettigout after he serves a four-game suspension? The list is pretty grim:
http://www.nfl.com/freeagency#tab-set-1:tab-ol
Thoughts?
August 19, 2008
#26 Pissed Off said . . .i was actually talking about the first two games. and it's insane -TRULY INSANE - for a rex supporter to criticize lovie's handling of rex. when the media was destroying him everyday in the press each and every week, lovie's blind support of #8 became an nfl joke. lovie was the only person supporting rex for months at a time.
i don't think rex's career is over here. but does the rex fan ever see anything as rex's fault? the picks are the offensive line's fault. the fumbled snaps are the center's fault. enough.
August 19, 2008
#27 jdawg said . . .My point still stands.
Listen to this:
http://www.670thescore.com/topic/play_window.php?audioType=Episode&audioId=2835368
August 19, 2008
#28 Phil from SATX said . . .when it comes down to it the coaching staff needed to be convinced that Rex was a markedly different QB than he had been the last 1 1/2 seasons and they weren't,
Orton played 10 games as a rookie and 3 games last season coming off the bench, without a lot of practice reps, etc...
The coaches are more interested in Kyle's decision making and poise under pressure. Unfortunately for Kyle he's going to get all the opportunity in the world.
And I would ask that the conspiracy theorists to tone it down a little bit. I think Rex knew he was going to be evaluated during his game play, or at least the evaluation would be heavily tilted in that direction. He did not light it up and that's what he had to do.
August 19, 2008
#29 PolygonHell said . . .I will say that although I ridiculed Haugh's continued assertions of Kyle's "ability to deliver the ball in tight spots" - after watching the game again, he did precisely that in the 2 minute drill. So the lack of accuracy that I (and many others here) perceive from him may have more to do with leading receivers or throwing before a receiver makes a break or touch passes - he may be one of the kind of guys who, if he sees that someone's open, he can zip it to them. That wouldn't suck if that was the case.
PO'd, you can take some time to grieve. It's okay to be bitter - but if I were asked I'd advise you to direct some of your bitterness toward Rex too - it was him who let you, and me, and everybody who supported him, down. I'm not saying be pissed at him, I think the guy did everything he could, no reason to think otherwise, but I also think it became obvious that he was not putting his bad habits behind him, and as Beardown and Jimbo suggest, he doesn't look like the right fit for this shambles of an O line and clueless coordinator. And while it could be said he lost his position to injury, keep in mind that he WAS injured again, has been in every season except the magic 2006, which can factor in to things too. Whether or not you believe there was a real competition or not (I tend to think there was) - to me what can't be argued, at least by virtue of the two preseason games, is that Grossman deserved to lose the competition because of unsatisfactory and unproductive play.
Off the subject of Kyle vs. Rex but on the subject of other QB's, how about Hanie's escape after being wrapped up by that lineman? That was pretty awesome - one strong dude. Other high points from the game aside from those mentioned by Duff - Corey Graham was strong, Marcus Harrison looking good, Forte continues to look very competent and three-dimensional - wait - what about Forte saving us 4 points with a MONSTER hit after the INT? That was like a highlight of the entire game for me, when there were many to choose from. I love Ft. Mattay. The spear by Kellen Davis deserves to be mentioned again - absolutely phenomenal play where he was really up about 11 feet high (as opposed to the 8 feet the guys on tube were talking about) - that kid could turn out to be our Kevin Boss this year. And remember as you're slotting WRs that Rashied Davis was not even there for that game - between him, the better-than-I-expected Lloyd and Marty I'm thinking Hester can be used less than I feared - to me watching him get up slowly is just too scary to think about his upside at receiver, but that's just me.
Garrett Wolfe took a little step back in this game - I'm back to saying that he should never take a standard handoff out of the backfield. His use is in screen passes, dumpoffs, maybe reverses, but he just gets swallowed up on regular running plays and is too easily swatted down.
Looking forward to the next game, I am.
August 19, 2008
#30 mikebdot said . . .I find it hard to believe that the coaching staff would lie to Rex over the competitive situation. I think it's likely he new that he would have to significantly out perform Orton to get the job.
Splitting reps though training caamp seems like a stupid idea if you already know the outcome.
If they did misrepresent the situation I would be more concerned about how the other players in the locker room respond. You start lieing to people who have to respect you for you to do your job and you have a potential disaster brewing.
Having said that I could see Angelo mis-representing it or stretching the truth, and as long as Lovie was honest to the players involved, I call no foul and no damage.
I'm not sure from what I saw Kyle won the job, but he didn't loose it, we have a decision, and hopefully we can start to see something devlelop on the offensive side of the ball Thursday.
August 19, 2008
#31 jeff said . . .It's about fucking time:
http://www.chicagobears.com/team/PreseasonDepthChart.asp
August 19, 2008
#32 Sausage said . . .i looked at that this morning. its not much up-to-date.
August 19, 2008
#33 Sausage* said . . .hi everyone, read this blog all the time, first time commenting though. so, how does the depth chart read now? i have faith in orton until he proves otherwise [tight leash as rookie, small sample size outside that] but what if he fails? does hanie get a shot or do they reintroduce grossman? i mean, he's on a one year deal and even if he does well, it seems like too perfect a time to cut ties, and not reintroduce the qb controversy that we all love so much.
i haven't seen any of the preseason yet and am anxiously waiting for thursday. it's nationally televised i think? out here in patriot land, est. 2001. i've been a big rex supporter in the past, ready to move on though. he might go somewhere else and be good, i don't think he can recover in Chicago though.
August 19, 2008
#34 Al In WI said . . .the "he:" in "even if 'he' does well" refers to grossman coming in for a failed orton
August 19, 2008
#35 Rob said . . .Something that I'd like to hear in all this is what Kyle did to win the job. I hear the point from everyone that Rex didn't go out an win the job by lighting it up. Okay, agreed. But did Orton? No he didn't. So why didn't he have to light it up and take the job?
His two field goal drives were enough to take the job? Pathetic. Po'd made a brilliant observation that if Orton had really lit it up against the far weaker opponent in KC there wouldn't be the bitterness that exists out there over this.
This was simply a judgement call, one made by Lovie Smith, and he in fact has admited as much.
And let's examine Lovie's judgement shall we: Terry Shea, Jonathan Quinn, Chad Hutchinson, Adam Archuletta, Cedric Benson, Ron Turner, firing Ron Rivera, I don't think I need to go on to make my point.August 19, 2008
#36 jeff said . . .This is my first time posting but have been a daily reader for quite some time...
I agree with Pissed Off (in a limited way)...
1) For the Bears to make an evaluation at QB, supposedly based on training camp and these two pre-season games, makes no sense. Neither QB has done anything to warrant them being named the starter. At the same time, neither has done anything to warrant them being named the back-up.
2) I understand that the third pre-season game is the usual "dress-rehearsal" for the regular season debut. However, in light of the striking lack of clarity at QB, why not have them each compete for one additional game?
My problem is not so much one of bias towards either QB. While I do believe that Rex gives us a better chance of having a productive offense, I also agree with those who claim Kyle gives us a better chance of a defensive offense.
My problem is that the Bears seem to be making a decision after the following:
1) Reports from Roy which continually indicated that Rex was having a better training camp than Kyle.
2) Mediocre performances from both QB's during the two games (yes, Orton orchestrated a successful 2-min drill)
3) While still retaining the option for one more look at them, in a game situation, on Thursday.
4) Bottom Line: The Bears seem to have rushed to a decision when the schedule would have allowed for one additional viewing/evaluation of what we have, prior to a decision.
August 19, 2008
#37 Luke said . . .by the way al, you're the only person on earth who wouldn't add rex grossman to that list.
August 19, 2008
#38 jeff said . . .Yeah...Although I've supported Rex throughout this 'competition' I see now that we just need to move on. Rex CAN be and MAY be a good quarterback, but Chicago and it's fans just won't let that happen. We'll see. Maybe he'll go to the Dolphins and make the Patriots schedule a little less of a walk in the park. Either way, even though I and a great deal of us would give Grossman the nod for QB, our team's in a city that makes it really hard to be a struggling QB and the fans(at least the ones that go to the games) will continue to make his life hell until he's somewhere else. Who knows, maybe he'll go to the Lions and have a great stint as the guy passing to Roy and Calvin. I think in that case Lovie would deserve to lose a couple of those games. But anyway, instead of this being my welcome Kyle note, it's my goodbye Grossman epitaph. Later buddy, hope to see you somewhere you can develop at some point. It's been a fun ride and new colors couldn't hurt you.
August 19, 2008
#39 Al In WI said . . .http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/8438504/Bears-think-offense-can-be-fixed
can it be optimism? will this make some of you go blind?
August 19, 2008
#40 jdawg said . . .Wow, you really answered it there. So fine go ahead Grossman to that list. Add Griese to that list, as I mentioned I could go further. This is about Lovie, not Rex/Orton for me.
August 19, 2008
#41 weave said . . .here' s how I read it:
A) The coaching staff slowly became convinced that Rex wasn't learning from his mistakes, couldn't make adjustments, couldn't read blitzes, couldn't feel pressure, etc...
B) They signed both QBs, sort of giving Rex one last chance, but he would have to show SIGNIFICANT progress to be named the starter;
C) He didn't.
In a way, the Seattle game was his perfect chance. They did what every team that faces Rex will do -- go Buddy Ryan on his ass. If he had made the proper adjustments in a hostile arena he would be your starting QB.
He didn't and he isn't.
August 19, 2008
#42 jeff said . . .Does Jeff George still have a contract with Chicago??????????????
August 19, 2008
#43 Shady said . . .al, do you mean the only football coach to take this team to a superbowl not named ditka? you mean the coach who won a division title in his second year with a rookie quarterback starting 3/4 of the season.
if i call - on superbowl sunday - thomas jones didn't run to the sidelines and scream,"coach make a call" - he screamed "rex, make a damn play"
if lovie is responsble for acquiring the quarterbacks, isnt he also responsible for acquiring the tremendous defense and wonderful special teams?
but please al...who else would you like to blame?
August 19, 2008
#44 Joseph said . . .Nice to see some new blood on here, Sausage & Rob.
I think the reason Rex Grossman needed to shine was because he had to show the coaches why they shouldn't give the job to Kyle. Picking up at the end of last year, Kyle showed that he was able to manage the offense which proved to be enough to win games. In order for the Bears to make a decision to go with Grossman over Orton (again), they needed evidence that Rex had eliminated (or at least minimized) his downside and that he could handle the shitty situation he would be thrown into on offense. Unfortunately for Rex and his supporters, he didn't do enough to prove that he could keep his head above water under such awful offensive conditions and his trademark mistakes were rearing their ugly heads again and again. Is Rex the better QB with a strong line? Yes, but that's not what he's going to get this year. Orton has shown on a consistent basis that he can handle these adverse conditions better than his counterpart Grossman, and that's why the Bears made the right decision to name Kyle Orton the starter.
Everybody knows the Bears defense just needs an offense to get out of it's way in order to make it back to the playoffs. A healthy and rested defense SHOULD be enough to make a run at the playoffs, especially in the weak NFC/ NFC North. The best way to accomplish this is to eliminate turnovers and by running the ball. Orton has proved over time (including this most recent competition) that he is the more consistent QB. Offensive inconsistency has been one of the biggest obstacles for this team to overcome. Finding some sort of consistency could be a BIG key to the team's overall success this year and maybe, just maybe, Kyle Orton will bring some sort consistency to this offense which might be enough to give this team a shot in the playoffs. It ain't 'sexy', but it'll get the job done and that's all that matters.
August 19, 2008
#45 Al In WI said . . .Kevin Jones is getting some reps against San Fran on Thursday.
I'm kinda excited to see what he can do!!
August 19, 2008
#46 Joseph said . . .Sure Jeff, great point. I'd like to blame the only quarterback to take this team to a super bowl not named McMahon. You know that guy.
By the way Thomas Jones sure is silly. Why does he think a quarteback needs to make a play? After all we've learned from you this week that all you have do is not throw an interception and you win by default. Touchdowns and points are no longer needed. Perhaps someone should remind him of that.
August 19, 2008
#47 trueblue said . . .Kevin Jones is getting some reps against San Fran on Thursday.
I'm kinda excited to see what he can do!!
August 19, 2008
#48 Decatur Staleys # 7 said . . .here's to hoping rex is not part of the question next year.
August 19, 2008
#49 Sausage said . . .Rex got "David Carr-ed"
Got drafted by the wrong team,an placed in a offense(Ron T dink dunk,pray for play action system) that didn't play to his strengh.(spread offense 3 WR sets system)Or maybe Rex is another practice warrior?
August 19, 2008
#50 jeff said . . .Did anyone else read the frontpage article on chicagosports.com? this quote surprised me a bit...
"You [media] guys can get negative about quite a bit of stuff, but this is the preseason," Orton said. "In some areas we've done well. In some areas we have struggled. But all and all, as a unit, I think we're getting better. And I think we're really going to show that in the next few weeks."
i like.when rex is good, he's really good. i think everyone knows that. but he never handled pressure [in every sense of the word] well, and that load isn't getting any lighter. he cannot succeed in chicago. he may very well succeed elsewhere.
i don't think we know what we have in orton yet. he was on such a tight leash as a rookie, and played just a couple games last season. here's to hoping.
August 19, 2008
#51 jdawg said . . .god, if i here that rex grossman took us to a superbowl again, i'll scream. there was a (warranted) debate over whether he'd even start the first playoff game after his final week green bay debacle (in which he admitted to spending more time on new years plans than preparing).
and i've never blamed grossman...FOR ANYTHING. go back and look. i even defended him after the superbowl. but in the last week, al, you've blamed the coaching staff, organization, offensive line, running game and jesus christ himself for grossman's failings...AND NOT SAID A SINGLE NEGATIVE WORD ABOUT REX GROSSMAN. to me that shows a bias that i can no longer take seriously. i've seen every down he's ever taken at quarterback...and you know what? he's not great.
August 20, 2008
#52 Shady said . . .man -- as a former Rex supporter I'm a little shocked at the heat at this point.
One of the differences between Rex and Kyle is that Rex doesn't have "it" and thinks he does and Kyle doesn't have "it" and goes about his business. None of this bluster about being a great QB in the NFL, Kyle just wants to get on the assembly line and make some fucking cars. I, for one, can't wait for him to arrive with lunchpail in hand.
August 20, 2008
#53 jeff said . . .I've been saying that for months now, "Rex took us to the Super Bowl."
Yeah right, gimme a freaking break - that guy was lucky to be along for the ride. Sure he had him moments, but the defense had to bail his ass out more times than he "won" any games for us. As I've said before, the QB gets too much credit and too much of the blame.
Regarding bias, everybody has it. I have it, not so much towards Kyle as it is far far away from Rex. (Fool me thrice, shame on Angelo?) Even "our boy" Roy has a bias, and he's not exactly shy about it either. In reality, no fan can be objective about their team or any of it's players because of the way they've made you feel over the years. Sometimes the best decisions on a difficult situation come from an outsider who has no personal feelings one way or the other, and are able to make an objective decision based on facts without regard to sentiments. I think Angelo and the Bears should hire a consultant to help them "step back" from the situation and gain a different perspective on what's going on at Halas Hall.
August 20, 2008
#54 jdawg said . . .you know what's weird? i sort of pride this site on not having bias at all. i want the guys on the field that can accumulate the most victories. but if that's not rex grossman, you're vilified.
August 20, 2008
#55 Idonije said . . .you know -- Angelo has had some sucky offensive drafts but he has built a pretty good D.
Also -- give this last draft a little time. Shit, if Williams' back is OK, Forte is as advertised, Bennet can hold on to the ball, Steltz (sp) develops along with Barton, Adams and K Davis, he's hit it out of the park. Plus, keep that DE from Mich. and toss Buzzeen out on his ass.
There are some saying that Barton is the best RT on the team (to use a Fox News phrase).
August 20, 2008
#56 Al In WI said . . .Another article about manning maybe being ready for week 1.
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/trainingcamp08/news/story?id=3542502
Man I can't wait for the season to get here.
August 20, 2008
#57 animal said . . .Jeff, I have said many, many times that Rex did not take control of the situation and win the job outright. I said it in fact in post #34.
I want to continue this I do, but to what end? In fact I had written out a nasty responce, but why? Orton is the starter, this is what the Bears want, and this is what they get. I hope for a change they are right. I can't tell you how much I want them to be right. If you recall I supported starting Orton over Griese late last year. In fact I argued to go Orton over Griese when Rex was benched. So I do not hate the guy, or have any reason to want him to fail.
But what I got was a monday night trip to the metrodome and in 9 bears games I've attended, the worst outing I've ever witnessed. I cannot tell you how inaccurate he was and how many open guys he failed to see. TV didn't do it justice.
I do not believe he has the talent of an NFL starter. At least the 3 times I've seen him play it didn't look like it.
I hope that he does, I hope that suddenly with the team behind him he emerges. I want the bears to win, and if Kyle plays well and contributes to those wins I will stand up and admit I was wrong. But I don't think that will happen. He has done nothing imo to prove that he is ready to do that.
In the 20 or so qb controveries I have wittnessed in my Bears fan experience. I have consistantly rooted for the guy who I thought gave the team the best chance to score points and there by win games.
And make no mistake Rex Grossman is done in Chicago. The hope and dream of him ever becoming a great player for this team is over. Even if he plays later this season, and plays well he's not going to be a Bear in 2009. And therefore he's not the long awaited answer at the position that I and assume we have been hoping for. Does he deserve blame for that? Of course. Is it all his fault? No. And it's worth remembering that when the next guy get's his chance.August 20, 2008
#58 Brian in Sec 430 Row 25 said . . .I just read everyone's posts.
Ugh. This debate, again,,,,
my thoughts:
They are contradicting.
1. Rex will start again this season.
2. Rex is done.They contradict, but I believe both. This is the end of the Rex era, finally. He won't be back after this year. His reign of exciting big plays and utter terror for fans is over. The hope, the promise, the tiny retard hands... over.
However, he will get another start this year, most likely because the porous, terrible offensive line will eventually get Orton killed. Less likely, but possible, is that Orton will suck it up bad enough to get benched at some point.Sad fact: With Rex we were the joke of the NFL and all major broadcasting networks. Constantly. At least that may finally end.
August 20, 2008
#59 Brian in Sec 430 Row 25 said . . .As a season ticket holder I was lucky enough to receive the Bears 2008 media guide in the mail the other day. As a result of being a totally pathetic Bears fan I found myself drawn to it's contents as it sat on my kitchen counter. An hour later I realized a whole new level of problems the Bears have....the coaching staff! The faults of Turner, Babich and Lovie are well documented on this site but I never gave too much thought to the guys who in reality are the most responsible for the development if our players and our roster. For example, QB coach Pep Hamilton...prior to his work "developing" Bears QB's starting in 2007, he was the QB coach in charge of nurturing #1 overall draft pick Alex Smith in San Fran....why the fuck did we hire this guy and why the fuck does he still have a job. If I was the sales manager for the worst territory in the industry, you could be sure as shit I would not have a job....typical blind lovie loyalty. How about Greg Gabriel...never heard of him? Me neither. Mr. Gabriel is our director of college scouting and has been for 8 yrs. Now, his bio talks all about the hester's, vasher"s and briggs' of the world but there is not mention of the total waste of the majority of picks the bears have had in his tenure...as a matter of fact, the Bears "brag" about the fact that 8 of the 22 starters were drafted or signed during his tenure....well, fuck give the guy a medal...in 8 year he has managed to secure 8 starters...how many players has he advised us to pass on that have been pro-bowlers? These are two examples of "how can he still be employed" guys. If you have NOTHING to do, grab a copy of the media guide and hit the nearest bathroom. The bottom line is this my fellow Bears fans, this is not a solid organzation from top to bottom and those of us who invest financially and emotionally are the one's who pay the price. One more note, a friend of mine has invited me to watch thurs. Game on his 122 inch HD TV....can I really handle the neckbeard on 122 inches of High Def? Talk amongst yourselves....
August 20, 2008
#60 shonbear said . . .As a season ticket holder I was lucky enough to receive the Bears 2008 media guide in the mail the other day. As a result of being a totally pathetic Bears fan I found myself drawn to it's contents as it sat on my kitchen counter. An hour later I realized a whole new level of problems the Bears have....the coaching staff! The faults of Turner, Babich and Lovie are well documented on this site but I never gave too much thought to the guys who in reality are the most responsible for the development if our players and our roster. For example, QB coach Pep Hamilton...prior to his work "developing" Bears QB's starting in 2007, he was the QB coach in charge of nurturing #1 overall draft pick Alex Smith in San Fran....why the fuck did we hire this guy and why the fuck does he still have a job. If I was the sales manager for the worst territory in the industry, you could be sure as shit I would not have a job....typical blind lovie loyalty. How about Greg Gabriel...never heard of him? Me neither. Mr. Gabriel is our director of college scouting and has been for 8 yrs. Now, his bio talks all about the hester's, vasher"s and briggs' of the world but there is not mention of the total waste of the majority of picks the bears have had in his tenure...as a matter of fact, the Bears "brag" about the fact that 8 of the 22 starters were drafted or signed during his tenure....well, fuck give the guy a medal...in 8 year he has managed to secure 8 starters...how many players has he advised us to pass on that have been pro-bowlers? These are two examples of "how can he still be employed" guys. If you have NOTHING to do, grab a copy of the media guide and hit the nearest bathroom. The bottom line is this my fellow Bears fans, this is not a solid organzation from top to bottom and those of us who invest financially and emotionally are the one's who pay the price. One more note, a friend of mine has invited me to watch thurs. Game on his 122 inch HD TV....can I really handle the neckbeard on 122 inches of High Def? Talk amongst yourselves....
August 20, 2008
#61 shonbear said . . .whatever... the competition was valid, but it was on the condition that Rex had to be far superior to Kyle, not only better but much better. Sounds like racism to me. Fine, its true he didn't handle the pressure, but rieght when it lokked like he was starting to get into a rythm in that game when you base it on the previous drive before they put Kyle in they pulled him. I would put bets on the table that in the shotgun two minute drill scenario with the fact that he had just gained his rythm previously they are driving down for a TD.
I totally agree that after about a drive or two of getting mauled that you start getting those reads to burn a blitzing pressuring defense. This is Rex's and Ron's fault. If you get some great plays against their blitz, they are going to back the fuck off right?
It's Rex's and his coaching staff's responsibility to show him his tendencies on film and create a way to force him into the habit of change. Not seeing the field and making those "hot read" adjustments and making a play out of it, using the pocket rather than running backwards and doubling a sack loss etc... Is it possible that Ron Turner runs such a tight ship that the QB's are hand cuffed in their ability to audible. If they go outside his game plan whether successful or not, he doesn't care, he just wants you to be a good soldier.
It was also the coaching staff's responsibility to use the run game to take pressure off the QB and make the offense more successful as a whole, but obviously this was their way of providing some game time pressure on the QB to help validate their decision to the world. What about some culpability in the line committing penalties, the receivers who dropped passes etc?
Sure I agree Rex deserves blame, but the coaches are right there too.
The rest of the non executing penealty committing get their ass run over group will perform better with Kyle as their leader?
Penalties and execution problems are who's fault? The players and the coach who put that player on the field, or the coach who doesn't make sure there are some kind of consequences to correct those failures.
What's been the coaches answer in creating a consequence for every fumbled snap, intercepted ball bad decision on hot reads or stepping into the pocket rather than backing out or fumbles. They will make statements, like he is working hard, or they won't practice the QB/Center exchange any more than usual even though the snap was dropped three times during a game.
Go Kyle, go Bears! NO INJURIES!!!
August 20, 2008
#62 Shady said . . .Brian in Sec 430 Row 25,
You have said a lot, now I can't completely blast these guys, cause after watching the Bears for over 25 years, this is the most talanted group of players (mostly defense) since our last SB win. I'm happy with that, but I still think their needs to be some accountability.
That Pep Hamilton things says it all. Still Rex deserves some blame, if your coaches aren't doing something that creates necessary changes in you, then you need to go out on your own and make those changes. Unless you think you don't need to improve and your not willing to make those changes, then you have a whole different set of problems.
How the fuck can the San Diego Chargers have had three potentially great QB opporunities in Eli, Philip and Drew. (Maybe the jury is still out on a couple of those guys, but man! Still makes me think)
August 20, 2008
#63 mikebdot said . . .That racism comment in #60 was hilarious. If you're gonna blame somebody, blame Angelo. I give the man credit for building a championship level defense, but as much attention as he paid to the defensive side of the ball, he equally neglected the offensive side. Angelo put too much stock in his offensive draft picks and didn't bother to create legitimate competition with established veterans. As far as the rest of the coaches on offense are concerned, I would agree there isn't much proof that these coaches are making these kids any better over time. It sounds like Pep's resume is pretty laughable and the offensive scouting department needs some re-tooling. Speaking of re-TOOLing, Ron Turner needs to do whatever he can to give this offense a shot at being successful. There are a number of players who have a distinct advantage in certain situations and it's up to Ron to make sure that happens. I believe the development of Greg Olsen both in the passing game as well as the run game will say a lot about the quality of these coaches.
It's easy to blame the coaches, however most of the onus of playing well is ultimately up to the players.
August 20, 2008
#64 mikebdot said . . .I think the biggest issue with the Rex vs. Kyle debate is that Rex has been injured in 3 out of 4 seasons. There was an article I read that said something about JA being concerned about Rex's ankle injury. He said that he was concerned about that last season and made it sound like it was part of the reason he was benched. It's highly possible that his pocket presence and general dislike of contact of any sort is still in his mind and this is why he runs backwards, still, after knowing this is when he performs poorly. That would be something very visceral when viewing the film.
Kyle is a beast of a man when compared to Rex. That doesn't say much, but it's true.
And, don't forget, Kyle's strength in college was the same as Rex's. Throwing the ball a mile and watching receivers run underneath the pass because their non-conference games were against teams that sucked shit.
August 20, 2008
#65 Pissed Off said . . .Well, actually, in Kyle's case, his CONFERENCE games were against teams that sucked shit too, at least most of them.
August 20, 2008
#66 mikebdot said . . .Some of you are seriously delusional in your thinking that this was a real competition. Why would an unbiased, non bear fan source (Hub Arkush from profootballweekly) who heard internally from a reliable source that they decided in June kyle was going to be the QB run with this story in the national media if it werent true weeks before Lovie even announced who the starter is going to be? Most coaches were in on this decision (including the guy who calls the plays, Turder) and the deck was stacked against Rex in the fact that they called plays for him so as that he wouldnt succeed. This is further evidenced by the fact that in his 20+ pass plays not one of them was a bomb attempt down the field. Pretty sure that in 20+ snaps over 2 games that play would have been called at least a couple of times, its called 2 or more times every full game Rex plays and for it not to even be attempted??? Those plays werent called because if Rex connects on even one of those for a TD, it looks so much more stellar than anyting Kyle can do that they'd have had to name Rex the starter or look even more like idiots. This regime is corrupt.
August 20, 2008
#67 Rancid said . . .PO'd: With all due respect, you don't know dick about what plays were actually called (not actually trying to be insulting, just like saying "you don't know dick"). I mean, seriously, were you able to view every receiver on all 23 passes he threw and the two sacks he took? It just sounds to me like you are going to actively root for Orton to fail so Rex can attempt to save the day.
My view of likely events this season:
Chance Orton fails and Rex comes in by game 9: 2 in 3
Chance Rex actually saves the day or simply goes above .500 in the next few games in that instance: 1 in 10
Chance we have a different third string QB than Hanie to start the season: 1 in 2
Therefore, chance we see Hanie start a regular season game this year: 3 in 10 (2/3 * 9/10 * 1/2)
August 20, 2008
#68 mikebdot said . . .The only positive I am hoping for from this is that with the new obscession with whining and lamenting for giving KO the job maybe we can finally get away from having to listen to all the whining and lamenting for trading TJ to the Jets. I'm ready for some damn games that actually mean something. That ought to bring us all back together.
August 20, 2008
#69 mikebdot said . . .Of course, that isn't to say that Grossman was able to get into any sort of flow. There was a penalty called on the offense in 4 of the 5 possessions he was involved with.
As I ponder that a bit further, I never really considered the effect the QB could have on the offensive line and tight end's ability to simply get off the ball correctly. We were one of the most penalized teams in '06 and '07. In '05 we were among the top 10 least penalized teams (from what I can tell from nfl.com).
Could this have something to do with Grossman's cadence and his non-ability to deal with pressure? Maybe a lineman is more apt to hold since they know any pressure will be a burden? Maybe they can't get off the ball correctly because his cadence isn't consistent? The linemen were pretty much the same throughout. Clark has been here all three of those years.
Speaking of Clark, anyone else see the interview with him on 'da site'? Is it me, or does Clark have a lazy eye?
August 20, 2008
Rancid: Good call!
Go Bears! Woo hoo.
August 20, 2008
Here at DaBearsBlog, you are free to kill us or the Bears as you so wish. You are not free, however, to be an asshole. So if you spew racism or ill-meaning foul language (cursing about football is just fine) or anything of that ilk, your comments ain't gonna last long, jerk.