Rex Appeal; on-field maturation keys victory

By Paul Eide  |   Monday, September 25, 2006  |  Comments( 0 )

Chicago Bears
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The "old" Rex Grossman would've hung his head and become an instant liability for a struggling offense that needed a leader. The "old" Rex Grossman would've sealed the opposing team's victory by forcing a ball into coverage and turning it over. The "old" Rex Grossman would've looked scared and uncomfortable.

But this is a new year and a "new" Rex Grossman.

After serving up two interceptions to an aggressive Minnesota defense, Grossman, the Chicago Bears' starting quarterback, composed himself long enough to throw the game-winning 24 yard touchdown to Rashied Davis as the Bears defeated the Vikings 19-16 on Sunday. With that touchdown pass, Grossman proved that his early- season success is not an aberration thanks to weak opposition and, if only temporarily, disproved the notion of being the latest University of Florida quarterback bust in the NFL.

Grossman was cool and confident when it counted the most, and put his early game struggles behind him. Two plays before the scoring strike, the Bears were facing a critical third-and-8 from the Viking 35-yard line. Knowing the game was on the line, Grossman didn't try to win it on one play, and calmly found wide receiver Muhsin Muhammad for an 11-yard gain and a first down.

The modest gain quieted the roaring Minnesota crowd and swiftly regained the momentum in the Bears' favor.

If Grossman can perform this way on the road with first place on the line, down by four with under two minutes remaining against a defense that hadn't allowed a touchdown for the previous 58 minutes, it speaks volumes about how much he has matured in the first three games of 2006.

Aside from Grossman's touchdown pass, the story of this game was the two defensive units. The blitzing and ball- hawking schemes destroyed the tempo and pace of both offenses and personified why the NFC North is the NFL's "Black and Blue" division.

The Bears' defensive unit didn't give up an offensive touchdown in the game, but uncharacteristic poor tackling allowed the Vikings opportunities when there shouldn't have been any.

The Vikings' defense stuffed Chicago's rushing game and was very impressive, holding a Bears offense that was averaging 30 points a game to just 19.

Both units also forced two turnovers, but it was the Vikings' second turnover that swung the door wide open for a Bears comeback. Minnesota RB Chester Taylor had the ball stripped from him by defender Tommie Harris, and the ensuing Grossman touchdown pass gave the Bears the lead for good five plays later.

Game notes:

- Kicker Robbie Gould supplied most of the Bears' offense on the day, going four for four and nailing a career-long 49-yarder with just over four minutes left in the game. Gould is now 10 for 10 through three games.

- Penalties played a major role in this game, as the relentless pressure of both defenses were largely responsible for forcing a combined total of 18.

- The Vikings held the Bears to a season-low 51 rushing yards, averaging a meager 2.4 per carry.

Original Chicago Bears insights, courtesy of RealFootball365.com
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