Blame, thy name is Grossman

By Steve Reynolds  |   Tuesday, February 06, 2007  |  Comments( 12 )

Chicago Bears
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Ladies and gentlemen, your new NFL world champions, the Indianapolis Colts!

Ladies and gentlemen, the Colts' MVP for Super Bowl XLI, Rex Grossman!

The fans were unsure of him. Sports writers predicted he'd screw it up. No one gave the Chicago quarterback much of a chance. Grossman had the trust and support of his teammates and coaches (and maybe his mom) as the unquestioned man to lead his team into the Super Bowl, and that's about it.

And he dropped the ball.

Literally.

But the problem lies not in Grossman's aversion to holding onto the ball. After all, Super Bowl XLI seemed to be equal parts NFL contest and Three Stooges Revival for both clubs as they tried in vain to secure the football under the unrelenting purple rain. No, the game's outcome was contingent upon two impossibly bad throws by the Bears' QB. Any NFL quarterback could have done better than that.

Brian Griese could've.

Face it, Chicago fans, if not for a couple of atrocious decisions on the part of your quarterback, this game may have had a very different outcome.

And so, it begins. The revulsion, the piling on, coworkers at their respective water coolers saying, "I told you so." Someone should explain to Grossman the difference between "putting touch on the ball" and "floating the ball in the air until the end of time," or, at least long enough for both teams, in their entirety, to get under it. Grossman simply tried too hard to win the contest, when he should have been controlling the ball and managing the game.

Brian Griese would've.

Speaking of MVPs, did Peyton Manning really deserve the award (25 of 38 for 247 yards, one TD and two turnovers)? Both Dominic Rhodes (21 carries for 113 yards and a TD) and Joseph Addai (19 for 77, 10 catches for 66 yards) should have merited more consideration. But anyone who follows football knew who would "win" the MVP; Manning had the award sewn up during the coin toss. The Colts' quarterback had better thank Grossman and his hot air balloon-like passes; otherwise someone else may have won the award and maybe even the game.

Brian Griese should've.

Of course, hindsight is 20/20, and fans and sportswriters can argue over whether Grossman should have been the Bears' starting quarterback for all eternity. After all, Grossman was a large part of the Bears making it back to the big game after a 20-plus-year hiatus.

However, the debate belongs to history now. Colts fans may rejoice, Bears fans may lament; and betters who took the Bears and the seven points who watched Grossman's lackadaisical two-minute drill at game's end run out of time when a touchdown would have beaten the spread, may replace their kicked-in television sets.

But Bears fans may take solace in the fact that they have a talented team with a great defense and should contend once again in a relatively weak NFC. Don't believe me? Well, I'll leave the Chicago Bears and their fans with these prophetic words:

I know times are changing
It's time we all reach out for something new
That means you too
You say you want a leader
But you can't seem to make up your mind
I think you better close it
And let me guide you to the purple rain...

Brian Griese will.

**You can e-mail Steve Reynolds at sreynolds@realfootball365.com.

Original NFL insight, courtesy of RealFootball365.com
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