OK, So Now What?

Well it's here. The time that as a Bears fan I have been trying to avoid for the last day and a half. The time when I play General Manager and bore you all with my thoughts on what happened, and where Chicago goes from here. Is anyone of any importance going to read this, or care what I have to say? NO. That being said, I'm still gonna do it, because that is the beauty of having my own blog.


OK, lets start with the obvious, and that is Rex. My thoughts on Rex are very similar to many, logical Bears fan's. He is a young quarterback. Yes, he was totally outplayed by Peyton, but really, shouldn't he have been? Is there anyone in the world that would say that they are at all close talent-wise? Of coarse not. Now, that being said, am I giving Rex a free pass on this? Absolutely not. I have been a staunch supporter of Rex. You can ask anyone who has had a conversation with me, and they will tell you that I am almost irritating in my defense of Rex. Well, now I am having to take a long look in the mirror and ask myself the important question. Can we win with Rex? Here is the answer: I don't know.

Physically, Rex is incredibly talented. He has as big an arm as anyone in the league and can make throws that only 3 or 4 other guys can make. Now, mentally, Rex is all over the map. He doesn't seem to understand the nuances of the position. I know he is young (he has now played essentially one full season) and there were signs of greatness. Still, I wonder. Anyone who follows sports knows that there is a window of time that teams can challenge for titles. That being said, do you want to hang your hopes on Rex's shoulders? Should he get better? Sure. Will he? Who knows.

Here is what I think will happen. First off, this team did go 15-4 and made the Super Bowl with Rex. Also, how many people thought the Bears would win this game? Not many, and they shouldn't have. In games like this, the quarterback is the most important position. It usually doesn't matter if you are better defensively and in special teams if the difference at quarterback is so large. That was the case here, although I am not so sure that the Bears D was better here, but that doesn't change that Peyton should've won this game.

Now, all that being said, Rex will go into next season as the starter, and he should. He has earned that. Now, after that, all bets are off. Will he keep his job? Who knows. Also, keep in mind that he is a free agent after next season. How much better does he need to play to next year to deserve an extension? Are there that many AVAILABLE quarterbacks out there that rational Bears fans would rather have than Rex? Oh yeah, and before you even inch towards me with Jeff Garcia, let me say this. All the "experts" totally wrote him off while he was stinking it up in Detroit and Cleveland. Why is he the answer now?

Now, if there was someone out there that was obviously better, fine make the move. People are going to call for Donovan McNabb. This makes a little sense since he is from Chicago and is very good when healthy, but he has had 1 healthy season in the past 5. Do you want to hang your hopes on a guys with this track record for injuries? I don't know. Is there someone out there in college that could step in and help now and could, realistically, be acquired? No.

So, this is what you have. Rex is the best option. He is better physically than Griese, Gracia, etc. and deserves the chance to learn and improve. Now, if there is minimal improvement next year, then I doubt you'll see him get an extension. It would not surprise me to see them spend a middle round pick on a QB in this draft to hedge their bets. Either way, Bears fans, we will have another year of Rex. Lets just wait and see what happens.

Now, a moment about the great, vaunted Bears defense. They were horrible. Our great linebackers were totally neutralized. The D-line was rarely able to create any kind of pressure. The secondary was shredded by Manning. They missed tackles. They where in the wrong places at the wrong times. They were flat our beat. There were multiple times that the Colts had a 3rd and 6 or more and every time, every time, the Colts got the first. And yes, they were on the field a lot, but that was partially due to their inability to get off the field. So, any discussion of BLAME must also include the defense.

I, myself, place most of the blame on the coaches, namely offensive coordinator Ron Turner. It was common knowledge that the best way for the Bears to win was for them to run the ball, control the clock, and minimize the plays Rex needed to make. Well, even with a 55 yard run in the first quarter, Thomas Jones had only 15 carries. 15 carries! In a deluge, the running game was almost totally forgotten. Then there was the plays called for Rex. Is it any surprise that he struggled when every pass play called for him early on was an underneath route? He was never given any chance to get into a rhythm. Now, if you are running the ball down they opponents throat, I have no problem with this. However, you are calling plays as though you need as much production from the passing game as from the running game. If that is the case, then LET HIM PLAY! If you don't give him a chance to succeed, you can't be shocked when he fails. Now, let me say, I love Ron Turner. I think he is a great coordinator, but he hamstrung his offense in this game, and it really, really hurt their chances to win.

OK, there they are. My thoughts on the game, who you blame, and what to do with Rex. Am I right? Who knows. They're my opinions. Feel free to agree or disagree. They are what they are. Ultimately, I don't think any of this mattered. I don't think there was anything the Bears could've done to walk off of that field with the trophy. Peyton was not going to be denied, no matter what Chicago did.

Scoot Out!