Full Court Press

The good thing about this Superbowl is that both quarterbacks will be deers in headlights. If you think almighty Manning is going to be cool you are mistaken. He has showed as much poise as Rex in the playoffs. He has "choked" more than Rex in recent years. Rex will be fine, he had big games in Florida and that is where he will have the biggest game ever, in Feb. !

well, you may be right about playing tight. But manning has been known to have his troubles in big games too. Could be one of those whoever scores first type of games.

One thing i did notice about rex, besides being little, is in pictures of him his fingers are all about the same size. Just seemed kind of odd, maybe that's why he doesn't grip the ball so good. Could be a regional thing too with people over there in indiana. I remember back home a whole family a couple of hollows over that had webbed toes, they were all real good swimmers as you'd expect. I'm not saying that all the people over there in downstate indiana have web feet too, but have you ever seen rex with his shoes off? Any swimmers in his family. Maybe having fingers all the same length over there is normal enough no one notices much, i just thought it seemed kind of strange.

Roman responds: Now that's funny, and I'm from Indiana.

Whenever Rex's back has been thrown up against the wall, he's done fine. Think the Monday night game against the Rams when his job was on the line... he delivered the goods. In the playoffs, counting last year, he wasn't bad. Some of his better performances came on national TV, too (Seattle, St. Louis, NY Giants off the top of my head).

Rex's bad performances tend to come against blitz-happy teams, which the Colts aren't. Granted I have no idea what their game plan will be on defense, but I doubt if they change their whole scheme specifically to stop Rex when they run the extreme risk of getting roasted by TJ and Benson. They've been stacking the box to stop the run, and I think even with Bob Sanders in there, if they do that they'll get a rude awakening. That's exactly what teams seemed to be doing until the Arizona game when Rex looked like MVP of the league. KC and Baltimore played one-dimensional, predictable games and also didn't commit to the run and force the Colts to prove they could stop the run. They also didn't have much in the way of instant points in somebody like Berrian.

I'd be equally as worried about Peyton Manning tightening up (although I don't think he will).

I think that good/bad Rex won't show up but rather "decent Rex."

Decent Rex doesn't make mistakes and can make big throws when he needs to. Decent Rex runs down the clock with the running game and lets the defense take care of business.

I noticed last weekend that Grossman looked to his left back side to see the pressure coming and eluded it. Old--bad Rex would have just stood there, got clocked, and probably fumbled.

He's learning.

I think that he's learned the important lessons that he's needed to learn thus far.

Don't make stupid mistakes; let your defense take care of business; if you don't have anything going on down the field, don't force anything; and let your running game bring it.

He'll be fine.

Peyton Manning on the other hand... He'll see a defense and pressure the likes of which he's never known.

Should be fun!

Keith and Tim, I was going to make the same assessments but you guys beat me to the point. I wholeheartedly agree.Clem that is some funny stuff. Some of you guys should be comedians."Webbed feet". I'll probaly laugh all night thinking about that one. I asked my Father-in-law tonight who he expected to have a worse game,Rex or Peyton. I'm not sold on Peyton being able to get his game into high gear. Roman,from Indiana!!No wonder your gut told you the BEARS were gonna lose. You're a Domer-homer. For the sake of argument:where is Jay from? GO BEARS!!!

It is a good thing that this game will not be determined solely by the quality, consistent performance and leadership of the teams quarterbacks. If it were this game could get ugly. The smart money would be on Manning--Grossman, Manning--Grossman; who are we kidding Manning.

Thank goodness for defense and special teams. Bear fans just--have to believe!

My Beloved Bears have a better "TEAM" game. I include offence as well as defense and special teams. The key will be which team comes out Sunday the "Readiest". Which one will want it the "MOST".

The Bears have got to keep the pressure on Manning. He gets shook up if he keeps getting hit. He doesn't like to take hits. They can win this game if they keep getting to him, they have to go after him on every play. If they don't they won't win. GO Bears!

Rex will be solid and even throw a couple of tds. The game will start with a good drive by the BEARS, running well and a few tosses to the archbishop Desmond. I honestly feel like the BEAR offense will be very good. BEARS will be in the lead the whole game.
The only memorable plays by Rex will be good ones. The confidence and support of the coaching staff and teammates will pay big rewards this game. (I'll definetly go on record with that statement)
I do believe this will be a very memorable super bowl. BEARS 27 Colts 24.

If you think that Manning is going to struggle, you are wrong. Manning is a hall of famer and he ALWAYS shows up on the big stage...other than 1 day in Foxboro in 2004. Actually, a bad day for Manning is a good day for Grossman, and we ALL know it! Everyone will point to this post season with Manning's numbers being down, but guess what, he manages the games and wins. He slowed it down against KC and BAL, and he turned it up on NE.

I think the only way the Bears win is if Jones and Benson can control the clock, Hester gives the O good field position, and the Bears create 2-3 turnovers. Yes, it is possible. However, the Colts are going to put 8 guys in the box, force Grossman to throw the ball, and prey on his inaccuracies...forcing a couple picks.

On O, the Colts will put Clark on the outside with Wayne in the slot, which will draw Urlacher coverage. With play action and draws, the Colts will run and throw short passes to force the Bears into man coverage. Then, with a double move or two, Harrison and Wayne are going to get theirs in the secondary.

As much as I want to see the Bears win, I think the Colts O can out wit the Bears D better than Grossman can out wit the Colts D.

For the Bears to win, Grossman has to be on fire, and I am not sure he is going to feel real good about things as he answers questions all week about how he is NOT going to screw things up for Chicago. Manning will hear congrats, you are here, write the script to your legacy.

It is a 2 time MVP and master going up against a young kid with a bright future, but shaken self-confidence.

My last thought...I hope Rex has his mind on the big game and not the parties going on in South Beach...like his mind was on New Year's when he got embarrased by the Packers.

I like the Bears future, but Rex needs some more reps on the big stage.

While the worries and criticisms of Grossman are certainly warranted, I want to remind Bears fans that the Bears have won NFL Championships in the past without first-rate quarterbacks. The 1963 NFL Championship team, for example, was led by Bill Wade on offense, who was less-than-stellar in the Bears 14-10 victory against the New York Giants. It was the Bears defense and efficient play by the offense that won the game. If you're interested in actually reliving this game, I had the pleasure of interviewing Bob Wetoska, starting right tackle for that 1963 championship team, on my podcasl. In the end, the key to winning this year's Super Bowl, like other big games in Bears history, is defense.

If the defense plays like they did against the Saints, Rex will be fine and Peyton will fold like a cheap lawn chair.

I think everybody is a little worried but that comes with your team being one win away from world champs.As long as Rex finds his comfort blanket i.e., Desmond Clark, I think he'll be fine. I think all the pressure is on the Colts.They are the ones who ,according to the "experts", are supposed to win.Rex will need to make a few big plays but nothing that he han't don all year.As bad as some of his games have been he does have a knack for throwing a pass when he needs it the most.

After his acceptance in the Guinness Book of World Records as the world's first known BIPOLAR BEAR, fans are never quite sure if they'll see the "good" Rex on Sunday, or the "bad" Rex.

To get even more specific, you have...

(a) REX THE WONDER BEAR: This is the QB who throws tight spirals at perfect speed and trajectory, looks off his primary receiver and avoids costly mistakes.

(b) REX THE BLUNDER BEAR: This "evil twin" of Rex the WB is capable of losing a game all by his lonesome.

And when it happens, he's just that ~ LONESOME.

I suppose the question weighing heaviest on the minds of Bear fans everywhere is:

Do ya think, that some time in the not-too-distant future, it might be possible for Grossman to wind up, oh, I dunno ~ SOMEWHERE in the middle?

You know, maybe not Pro Bowl-worthy, but also not a complete & utter screwup?

WHATTA WE THINK...

Can they train Wrecks?

Uh, I mean ~ Rex?

(BTW, there is a deer, and then there are deer. One or 100, it's always "deer.")

The "good" thing about Rex's uneven play this year is that there is NOT a pattern of choking in big games: he outplayed that other Manning when we thought that homefield advantage was on the line and scored his zero in a meaningless final game at home. The "deer in the headlights" for big games would seem to better fit the opposing quarterback.

I'm not necessarily saying this will happen, but I'm actually more optimistic that this is the time Rex actually shows up and shows his early-year form. The Colts are going to be looking for the run and, more importantly, they're going to be scared of the run. They're going to need Sanders to try and contain Benson and Jones, meaning there's going to be one less defensive back. It all needs to come together, really--Rex has been a little jumpy in the playoffs, but he's settled down.

I think the wide receivers' play is just as an issue of concern, frankly--Muhammad's been dropping a lot of catchable passes. They, of all people should realize that Rex isn't always going to put the ball in the perfect spot.

Bottom line is that they're all professionals, and they've been playing like it. It's just time to finish the job.

As long as Bears don't beat themselves they'll win. Rex has to play turnover free & let the D plus special teams do its job. Expensive dance Reggie Bush ..$5,000! Saints are history at least until next fall anyhow! Bears should be able to handle colts to the tune of 34-26!

I totally agree with your points Keith, that is what I wanted to say! Rex has responded whenever there was a big media spotlight on him this year:

Week 1 - Rex torched GB after media and fans expect meaningless pre-season performance to continue

Week 8 - Rex torched 49'ers after Arizona game "exposes" him

Week 10 - Rex has tough start but then torched Giants in 2nd half in the infamous east coast stretch that was going to "expose" the Bears as another weak NFC fawn.

Week 14 - After a couple of very poor performances Rex is scheduled for execution by the media but torches the Rams and the vultures once again are forced to find altitude.

Playoffs - Rex plays exactly like all the "experts" said he needed to all season, playing smart and not turning the ball over. Apparently though that is no longer good enough and Rex is now the "worst quarterback to play in the Super Bowl".

Whatever...

So, to the Super Bowl media, please keep the pressure on and guarantee a Colts win led by the great Peyton Manning. In doing so you are creating a new legend...

Rex has showed some tremendous poise in his last games. He came through for us at the moments it was necessary. Pass to Rashied in OT against the Seahawks. Big momentum drive 3-4 Q against the Saints.
Big time production if you ask me.
And let's not forget he won't be playing Manning: DA BEARS will play against the Colts. It's a teamsport.

First of all, over the past 40 years, the Bears are below .500 for winning games in cold weather. But they're 5-2 when it snows. It snowed against the Saints, so now they're 6-2. The Colts are favored because of their Offense. But the Bears have a better Defense. The number one factor in this game is Rex. He played for the University of Florida. So did Alex Brown, Todd Johnson and Ian Scott. Not to mention Devin Hester who played for the University of Miami. And the game's in Miami. (80 something degrees) And the Bears play better in warm weather. The Colts however, LOST 4 games this year in warm weather. (Dallas, Tennessee, Jacksonville & Houston) The Bears lost in COLD weather 3 times this year. (Twice in Chicago and once in New England) So remember, Florida's Rex vs Tennessee's Peyton, playing in Florida? Advantage: Rex. Bears 27 Colts 17

I love how the '85 Bears are still trying to get as many quotes as the team actually playing. Will someone tell Richard Dent to shut up!! Wait, he's promoting his Hall of Fame induction possibility. HA - the funniest part was how he called himself the 2nd best DE of all time. Guess he never saw Reggie White, Howie Long, Carl Eller, Leroy Selmon, etc. A part time player (at least part time for how many plays he took off) should not be in the Hall. They didn't call him "The Colonel" for nothing...he did only only 1 thing!

The Rex-bashing is starting to get a bit old. He's barely got a year and a half of NFL playing experience and everyone expects him to play like a seasoned veteran. It took most QB's a couple of years at the least before they starting performing well. Rex has shown that he can handle the job AND i'M HOPING THAT THIS sUNDAY HE CAN PUT ON ONE OF HIS SUPER PERFORMANCES TO SHUT UP ALL THE EXPERTS.

Rex will be fine,I wouldnt want anyone on my team who "isnt"excited or nervous about going to the Superbowl.18 of 21 sportswriters picked the 'Aints over the Bears show you how much they know ,Roman.The Bears will win the Whole thing and our discussions about bad Rex ,good Rex will be "over",at least until next season....Go!!!!Bears!!!!!

This is really something. I agree it has been those so called experts who have said week in and week out that the Bears are not the best team in the NFC. The experts and other people forget that the Bears were supposed to falter on their 3 game east coast swing. 2 out of 3 ain't bad against playoff teams.Or do you all forget??? I have lived in Tampa for over 25 yrs, I saw Tony Dungy fail in big games with Tampa Bay, yet his Defense led by Lovies linebackers and secondary cream the so-called Great QB'S. Lovie's defense always kept his Buccaneers in the game. This game will come down to who is the better coach!
The Bears D will show up, 3 takeaways, Hester gets almost 250 yrds in returns Jones will get his 100+ yards and Rex will pass for 280yrds. Bears win 37 to 24.
Bear Down!!!!

Come on Roman -- get some new material. This is old fodder that the national media has even moved on from. This topic is old and tired, and there are many larger matchup and strategy issues that could be discussed (e.g. who's going to cover Dallas Clark on most downs? How are the Bears going to minimize Bob Sanders' impact? Will Cedric's running style be more effective than Jones' against the Indy defense? Etc.)

Roman responds: Predicting how the quarterback of one of the Super Bowl teams reacts to the pressure of the moment isn't old, Lou. It's the biggest story of the game. Your other topics are interesting as well.

I really don't see any Rex bashing,Romas. If anything no one is showing him respect because you really can't tell which player will show up when it comes to Rex. I think everyone is being realistic. The same reason he plays inexperienced is the reason everyone says that. Can you say for certain that he's gonna be great. If anything you're hoping more than knowing ,outright. I don't really see bashing going on. Most people think he'll have a good showing. He will. GO BEARS!!

This just in from South Beach, Miami, Florida:

Gatos Pyjamas, owner and general manager of Miami's hottest new nightclub, WISHBONE, has told the media that one of his top bartenders has come up with a shot, especially created in honor of the Bears' beleaguered QB.

Bartender Sanz Pantalonez said the drink is a twist on the old favorite known as a "Sex on the Beach."

The mixologist warned, however, that a "REX ON THE BEACH" is not a concoction that should be consumed by amateurs.

Besides Gatorade, Myer's 151 Rum and a splash of Absinthe, the ingredients are a closely-guarded secret.

"After just two of these suckers," he said, "a fellow could easily find himself waking up the next morning ON THE BEACH ~ stretched out alongside a baby-faced, whiter-than-WhiteOut guy."

"If the guy is lucky, the pasty-faced stranger will have been unable to find an 'open receiver' ~ and he will awaken to find that Rex is merely fumbling with the snap on his button-fly trousers."

IT'S LIKE I SAID ALL ALONG THE BEARS WILL PROBABLY MAKE THE SUPERBOWL BUT, WINNING IT IS A WHOLE NEW STORY. FOUR WEEKS AGO I SAID THE AFC WOULD WIN THE SUPERBOWL, NO DOUBT NOW I AM NOT SO SURE THE CHARGERS LOOKED LIKE THE TEAM TO BEAT THEN I THOUGHT HERE COME THE PATRIOTS AGAIN BUT, THEY GAVE THE GAME TO INDY. NOW THE BEARS D DECIDES TO SHOW UP AGAIN SO THIS MAKES FOR A TOUGH PICK. WHAT HAVE THE COLTS DONE IN THE PLAYOFFS TO MAKE THEM THE RUNAWAY FAVORITE? THEY COULD NOT STOP THE PATS OFFENSE, GAVE UP A TON OF YARDS ON SPECIAL TEAMS, AND HAD EVERY IMPORTANT PENALTY GO THERE WAY. HOW OFTEN IS AN OFFENSE LINEMAN GOING TO SCORE FOR YOU ? THE PATS NEEDED TO RECOVER SOME OF THOSE KEY TURNOVERS. I THINK THE OUTCOME WOULD HAVE BEEN TOTALY DIFFERENT IF THEY DID AND HOW OFTEN ARE YOU GOING TO COME BACK FROM 19 DOWN. I KNOW THE FINAL SCORE IS THE ONLY THING BUT THE COLTS TRAILED FOR THE FIRST 59 MINUTES. THEY HAVE NOT LOOKED ALL THAT GREAT IN THE PLAYOFFS. MY PICK IS.

BEARS- 32

COLTS- 17

The Rex-Bashing is and has been old for a while now. I'll make this short and sweet. Rex has had poor games typical of most young quarterbacks starting out in the NFL. To counter his poor performances he's had several stellar outings. I'm just happy to finally enjoy a quarterback with the balls to give his receivers a chance to make a play on the ball. I don't know about you fellas, but I don't know if I could have stomached another season with Orton at the helm. And that's no knock at him. He just ain't got what Rex has got. SUPER BOWL, SUPER BEARS!!!

Ben Roethlisberger didn't have a great Super Bowl and also was a young unproven QB and won the game. Jake Delhomme looked great in the Panthers Super Bowl loss a couple of years ago and nobody knew who he was.If he is the "worst" QB to be in Super Bowl then we should be in good shape. Remember Mark Rypien, Trent Dilfer and Doug Williams. Neither was great but they got rings. Basically the Bears as a team especially on special teams have responded when Rex has had a bad game.Physically we can dominate the Colts on the line of scrimmage. People can talk all the QB stuff they want. Pressure Peyton and he will look like crap. Brett Favre had a similar season (the year before they won it all) to Grossman's this year. Not comparing Rex to Brett yet but he has performed better than 95% of all Bears QB's in history even with his uneven play. He played great against the Giants on national TV amd last week he won the NFC title after having a rough first half. Against Seattle he was better than we expected.Grossman has one thing that many players don't have and that is persistence under great pressure and tough situations. Three injury plagued seasons and the media thrashing he took this year would have broken many.Lovie can see this and the rest of the Bears players know his resolve.Good luck to Rex and the rest of the Bears and your first blog after the SuperBowl will be to praise Rex for what he means to this team.
Go Bears!!!

Why is everyone, media wise, seem to be forgetten about the colts defensive, i'm only 31, but every superbowl i've ever watch since i could remember, you needed a pretty good defense to win the big game, and i'm not sold on the Colts "D". The Beloved will be fine.

Roman the pressure of a Super Bowl can't compare to the pressure the Chicago media has put on Rex the last month and a half of the season. Does Jay Marrioti like his crow with or without ketchup?

What I witnessed from the media in the iterview with Grossman is a joke you guys think you can say or do what you want and when a player gets tired of the stupid questions and expresses thier opinion about the media you want to make it into something it's not the media needs to get a life!! If it wasn't for the players the media constantly hammers on you guys wouldn't have a life.and that's a fact. Why doesn't the ignorant person that asked the same Qs get out there and try to throw a pass. GO BEARS!!!!!!

What I witnessed from the media in the iterview with Grossman is a joke you guys think you can say or do what you want and when a player gets tired of the stupid questions and expresses thier opinion about the media you want to make it into something it's not the media needs to get a life!! If it wasn't for the players the media constantly hammers on you guys wouldn't have a life.and that's a fact. Why doesn't the ignorant person that asked the same Qs get out there and try to throw a pass. GO BEARS!!!!!!

Over the years it seems there have been some really great quarterbacks that have made it to the Super Bowl and some really bad ones as well. He has had 7 games with two or more touchdowns and 5 games with 2 or more interceptions. He has played well on national television (Seattle, NY Giants, St.Louis) and has played poorly in others (Arizona, Green Bay).

In games when Grossman's QB rating is below 20 the Bears are 2-1.

What is also true is that Grossman is better under pressure from the Chicago Media. After the Arizona game his QB rating was 137 against San Francisco. After his dismal 1.3 rating against Minnesota, he posted 114 and 104 ratings against St. Louis and Tampa respectively.

His play in the playoffs has been more than acceptable. The interception against Seattle was not his fault, and the play of the receivers and the weather is as much to blame in the win against the Saints.

The difference between Rex and someone like Rick Mirer is that Rex has a chip on his shoulder and really will not take no for an answer. Criticism has made him play better. He did not fold when the Bears were considering putting Griese in but he raised his level of play and that to me is the sign of a winner. I think that the game is not just physical but a mental one as well.

Has the year been a learning experience for Rex? It sure has. Early and midway into the season Rex was making bad judgments when being rushed or pressured. He would try to throw the ball into places that it should not have gone. In the playoffs this had stopped pretty much.

Grossman's stats in the playoffs QB Rating wise has been better than Mannings. What is even more interesting is if you review Mannings first 24 games of his career vs. Grossman's you realize that their numbers are very similar. Review Brett Favre's early career and you see the same issues with high interception rates.

In fact, if the name Favre was on the back of his jersey, there would be none of this discussion, even though Grossman's QB rating was higher than Favres was this year.

And unlike other quarterbacks that have started for the Bears in the past couple years we know he has the ability to do the job.

I believe that Grossman is aptly prepared to face any defense that is thrown his way.

In my opinion, the criticism of Rex's ability to win big games is just pure stupidity. He has played solid or very good in every big game this season. The Dolphins, Cardinals, Vikings, and Packers games were not big at all, so don't even think about bringing them up. He will once again show he is a top 10 QB and be the MVP in the Bears SUPER BOWL VICTORY.

4:30 in the morning, woke up wondering how Grossman is going to react when they start blitzing. I really think this is the Bears game to give away. The Colts do not play well on grass, they do not play well outside of domes and they have played their Superbowl by beating New England.

And will they blitz. They haven't all season, so will they start now.

I think Mark Bradley is going to win this game for Chicago.

Bears 27
Colts20

I've had my share of doubts about rex this season. but i think he made it through what could have been the two toughest games for him against the seahawks and the saints. Rex should be ok outdoors in florida, and manning and his receivers won't be.

Like most games, this one will be won on the line, can the bears oline run block and bears control clock? Can the bears oline block colts def. ends and give rex time to throw the deep ball against a depleted colts secondary? I think so. And can the d line put pressure on manning? Look for Adewale to have a big game 2-3 sacks, and maybe ricky manning junior, a sack and a pick.

All the attention on rex has taken the pressure off the rest of the team so the bears should play well. And all the attention on manning and the colts precision offense should make them a bit tight outdoors in the wind and rain.

Bears 38, colts 23

Go Bears!