Upon viewing some statistics, your eyes can widen as rapidly as Ricki Lake's waistline. Roger Hornsby hit .424 in 1924. Wilt Chamberlain averaged 50 points and 27 rebounds in 1962. If you subtract Wayne Gretzky's career goals (894) from his career points (2,856) he still tops the list with just his assists (1,962). Gordie Howe's 1,852 points rank second.
One stat this past weekend had that effect on me, except the widening of my eyes was not a widening signifying that I was impressed, but rather shocked. Now, I couldn't explain the calculations of the quarterback rating if I tried. I think it has something to do with passes completed divided by the shoe size of his center, multiplied by the weather (in Fahrenheit) of that day, but I'm not quite sure. All I know is that 1.3 is not good.
Rex Grossman's Sunday was miserable. Sure, he'll tell you that it doesn't matter. He'll tell you that the Bears' 23-13 victory over the Minnesota Vikings on the road and their clinching of their second consecutive NFC North division title was all that concerned him after the game, but that can't be the case.
The fourth-year quarterback completed just under 32 percent of his passes for a walloping 34 yards and had three picks. His yards per attempt (1.8) might be the lowest I've ever seen for a quarterback who played an entire game.
The Bears are thinking Super Bowl. In a heinous NFC, they are clearly the elite team. But right now, how could you pick a team that has Grossman at quarterback. Sure, next to Kyle Orton, Grossman looks like Phil Simms, but next to Kyle Orton, I look like Kyle Orton.
Fans used to say Rex is great. He's a gunslinger. He instills confidence in the Bears. I'm not sure how they can defend that assessment now.
So, the question becomes, ""What to do now?"" Sitting on the bench is the experienced Brian Griese. Griese has a strong arm and has been a starting quarterback consistently in Denver before, so he seems like a good choice compared to someone whose inconsistency rivals the quality of Sammy Sosa's excuses for using a corked bat.
But is Griese really the answer? He hasn't played consistently as a starter since 2004 when he played 11 games for Tampa Bay. And it's not like Griese is a stud either. He's fallen out of favor in Denver, Miami and Tampa Bay.
Also, the question becomes, ""Is this the right time for a change?"" The Bears are not 6-6 and in need of a spark. They're 10-2 and coasting to the playoffs. What if Griese stinks up Soldier Field? Do the Bears then reinstall Grossman under center, with his confidence shattered from being benched? It's a risky move and I don't envy Lovie Smith.
To defend Grossman, he's played great at times earlier in the year. But he tends to play like he's behind by 30 with three minutes left. What Grossman has to understand is that he has a spectacular defense led by MVP Candidate Brian Urlacher and an incredible special teams led by the speedy Devin Hester. If Grossman simply plays a controlled offensive game and relies on Thomas Jones and Cedric Benson, picking his spots on when he wants to do his best Brett Favre impression, the Bears are the favorite to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl.
People want different things for the holidays. Jack Ikegwonu wanted an X-Box, but couldn't wait. Mark McGwire wants to get into the Hall of Fame, but doesn't like to talk about the past. Bears fans want a Super Bowl.
But for that to happen, a 1.3 simply won't cut it.
If for some odd reason you'd like to defend Rex Grossman, e-mail Sam at sepepper@wisc.edu.
