Tuesday, September 25, 2007, 3:30 PM
First let me say that I am not, in any way, shape or form an expert on the great game of football. Besides sucking at defensive end in high school, I was also voted the best defensive player on every team I played against as quarterback of the 363's in the Ann Street Front Yard Football League (ASFYFL). So, in lieu of any real knowledge of the sport, I felt it my duty to put forth my thoughts on the problems of my beloved Chicago Bears.
As far as Rex Grossman is concerned, I have felt all along that the blame for his demise should rest squarely on the shoulders of Lovie Smith and his Coaches. Smith, like many defensive minded head coaches tends to think that an offense is a necessary evil.
After Grossman had that four pick game at Arizona last year, he came back with a fine opening half against San Francisco, but detonated in the next game. It was about then that you could see the game plan changing to suit Lovie Smith, not the talents of their quarterback, Rex Grossman.
I remember thinking during those early games last year that it was nice to have a classic "Oakland Raiders" style passing game. Look long first, medium second and short third. This was and is Grossman's forte. You could physically see him lift his head to look long, drop it down to look medium and lower yet for the short pass. In other words you could see him going through his reads. I also remember thinking that with a quarterback like that, young and confident, you can expect to have some very bad games. Of this not only was I aware of, but was willing to put up with as long as they didn't come in groups.
It was about this time that Lovie put the brakes on. The passing game became a dink and doink, little by little, protect the ball, offense - and I think this is where they went wrong. If this was the type of quarterback that Bears had wanted, why did they draft a "gunslinger?"
Last year they got away with it because the offensive line wasn't, and, of course, they had Thomas Jones.
This year they have a terrible offensive line. They don't have a running game and the receiving corps looks like they are playing "hot potato" with the ball.
But what makes me think that the coaching staff has had Grossman on a very, very short leash? When was the last time you saw him audible out of a play? This is what has been bugging me. In the face of a blitzing San Diego defense, did you see him audible even once? I didn't. I saw him under heavy rush taking five and seven step drops instead of three step timing patterns that would allow him to hit the quick slant to the spot vacated by the rushing linebackers. This makes me believe he has been told to "just run the play we send in." I also see him staring down receivers, which I never saw him do before. Why is he suddenly doing this? For the same reason. Just throw the ball where we want you to. The coaching staff is trying to play quarterback from the sidelines.
This is counter-intuitive to Grossman, who likes to throw the ball and throw it down field. This is a kid who owns the second lowest interception ratio in Florida history. He was short in college, had small hands in college and had a good head about him in college. What has changed? The coaching philosophy.
Now he has a running back that can't pick up a yard or a blitz, meaning the play-action pass is meaningless. He has an offensive line that acts as though the term "throwing a block" is something you do in kindergarten and his receivers aren't in the mood to help out by catching a ball.
Does this absolve him of all blame? Certainly not! But let the kid play the way he was meant to. Let him go down with all the guns blazing away. At least he's liable to throw two or three touchdown passes to go along with the two interceptions. This kid was always confident and cocky, even when it was going bad last year. I always thought that he believed the next series was the one that would produce a score. Now? He looks beat and befuddled, as though he isn't being give a chance to make a play.
Griese? Orton? Be careful what you wish for. The running game won't get better with them at the helm. The blocking won't be better and neither quarterback is any more mobile. No, the only way the offense changes, is when the coaching staff changes the way they think.
Let Grossman play. Let him throw the ball all over the field, let him audible, let him make plays. Let him be the quarterback the Bears drafted.
And now back to our regularly scheduled programming....
After Grossman had that four pick game at Arizona last year, he came back with a fine opening half against San Francisco, but detonated in the next game. It was about then that you could see the game plan changing to suit Lovie Smith, not the talents of their quarterback, Rex Grossman.
I remember thinking during those early games last year that it was nice to have a classic "Oakland Raiders" style passing game. Look long first, medium second and short third. This was and is Grossman's forte. You could physically see him lift his head to look long, drop it down to look medium and lower yet for the short pass. In other words you could see him going through his reads. I also remember thinking that with a quarterback like that, young and confident, you can expect to have some very bad games. Of this not only was I aware of, but was willing to put up with as long as they didn't come in groups.
It was about this time that Lovie put the brakes on. The passing game became a dink and doink, little by little, protect the ball, offense - and I think this is where they went wrong. If this was the type of quarterback that Bears had wanted, why did they draft a "gunslinger?"
Last year they got away with it because the offensive line wasn't, and, of course, they had Thomas Jones.
This year they have a terrible offensive line. They don't have a running game and the receiving corps looks like they are playing "hot potato" with the ball.
But what makes me think that the coaching staff has had Grossman on a very, very short leash? When was the last time you saw him audible out of a play? This is what has been bugging me. In the face of a blitzing San Diego defense, did you see him audible even once? I didn't. I saw him under heavy rush taking five and seven step drops instead of three step timing patterns that would allow him to hit the quick slant to the spot vacated by the rushing linebackers. This makes me believe he has been told to "just run the play we send in." I also see him staring down receivers, which I never saw him do before. Why is he suddenly doing this? For the same reason. Just throw the ball where we want you to. The coaching staff is trying to play quarterback from the sidelines.
This is counter-intuitive to Grossman, who likes to throw the ball and throw it down field. This is a kid who owns the second lowest interception ratio in Florida history. He was short in college, had small hands in college and had a good head about him in college. What has changed? The coaching philosophy.
Now he has a running back that can't pick up a yard or a blitz, meaning the play-action pass is meaningless. He has an offensive line that acts as though the term "throwing a block" is something you do in kindergarten and his receivers aren't in the mood to help out by catching a ball.
Does this absolve him of all blame? Certainly not! But let the kid play the way he was meant to. Let him go down with all the guns blazing away. At least he's liable to throw two or three touchdown passes to go along with the two interceptions. This kid was always confident and cocky, even when it was going bad last year. I always thought that he believed the next series was the one that would produce a score. Now? He looks beat and befuddled, as though he isn't being give a chance to make a play.
Griese? Orton? Be careful what you wish for. The running game won't get better with them at the helm. The blocking won't be better and neither quarterback is any more mobile. No, the only way the offense changes, is when the coaching staff changes the way they think.
Let Grossman play. Let him throw the ball all over the field, let him audible, let him make plays. Let him be the quarterback the Bears drafted.
And now back to our regularly scheduled programming....
No comments:
Post a Comment