For all the complaining and moaning Chicago fans had for Rex Grossman, who put up decent numbers against the No. 1 defense in the league last week, I had better hear an earful of complaints for Kyle Orton this week, who put up absolutely nothing against the Green Bay Packers this past Sunday.
It was obvious in the first two passing plays of the game that the Bears and Kyle Orton had fed us a mouthful of lies in the days leading up the important contest against the Packers.
We were told Orton was making incredible progress and would be ready to go. After two near interceptions, one that Desmond Clark ripped from the hands of a Green Bay corner, and the other that popped out of Al Harris' chest into Greg Olsen's hands, the Bears should have said, "Okay maybe not," and pulled Orton out of the contest.
Though I believe it's more of Kyle Orton's selfishness and stubbornness that kept him in the game as opposed to the fact that maybe the Bears are just that stupid, Orton will and should shoulder most of the blame. He's been dubbed a captain on this team, one that is supposed to make the right decision for the offense at all times.
Orton's play was so poor that even the commentators were urging the Bears to put Grossman in halfway through the game. And yet he pressed on, and played hurt, and greatly handicapped an offense that, deep down, we all know would have gotten more done with Grossman behind the helm today.
Orton was playing hurt, and it was obvious. He was limping here and there, not stepping into his throws and put out a performance that I dare say even Rex Grossman wouldn't have displayed.
For the first time this year, Grossman actually had a higher passer rating than Orton—and he did it with not even two full series' of plays—that's how long it took Kyle Orton and the Bears to realize how they had doomed the offense, not until there were five minutes left in the fourth quarter.
That "C" patch on his jersey means Orton should have pulled the neckbeard away from his eyes and seen that his inaccurate and weak throws were making the Bears one-dimensional and greatly limiting what they could do when they had the ball.
When he limped to the huddle and looked his teammates in the face, he should have realized that they as a group were more important than Orton proving to himself he could play through the pain at any cost or whatever he was trying to prove out there today.
The move back to Orton made no sense at that point. When he has to wear a "special shoe" to play, that was more than a shoe and some tape, which is what Orton called it a postgame conference, then he shouldn't be playing at all.
But what was even worse was that at halftime, when the Bears are down by 21—the offense having done nothing and Orton still limping and wincing with pain—the third quarter opened up and sure enough, there was Kyle Orton, walking back onto the field.
I work for a professional sports network and we all screamed in frustration when we saw Orton limping back out to the huddle and Grossman sitting on the bench. Grossman who was 3-0 at Lambeau field; Grossman who had put up one of the better performances of any QB against the Tennessee Titans the week before; Grossman, who, more importantly,was HEALTHY.
Why would you send Orton back out on the field? He had done NOTHING. And I mean NOTHING.
If for no other reason than to preserve his health, Grossman should have been out there after halftime. Why risk hurting Orton more? The offense had been inept and horrible, so there was no momentum to preserve and no risk of doing worse—what good did it do to keep Orton on the field?
So now, we know that Orton is still hurt and not doing better—he's hurt bad enough to the point where it affects his play—so the coaches and Orton decide, "Let's keep him out there a little more so the pass rush can beat up on that ankle some more."
That was easily, in terms of depth management, one of the worst managed situations I've ever seen in a professional football game.
Orton's passes were floating, had no zip, and you can't have a QB throwing those types of passes against NFL caliber cornerbacks and DBs. They will adjust and pick you off all day.
And let's not forget the cardinal sin Orton committed at the end of the day—you know, the sin that ONLY Rex Grossman and NO OTHER QB in the history of the game every commits...He fumbled a clean, shotgun snap that was recovered by Green Bay and returned for a TD that put the icing on the cake for the Packers.
So there you have it Bears fans. Are you happy to see Orton again? Happy he proved you "right?" That an inept Orton is better than a healthy Rex Grossman?
Did you feel good watching your team struggle this Sunday? Watching receivers get overthrown and balls float through the air? Watching Orton throw an INT on one snap, getting lucky and having it called back, and then fumbling the very next snap to give the ball up again anyway? Did you feel vindicated in your assumption that Orton can do no wrong, no matter what?
Your savior put himself before the team today. Whether it was for fear of losing his job should Grossman get on a roll in an important divisional game or simply wanting to prove to himself he could play through the pain, Orton screwed this offense today because he was too selfish to take himself out of the game and let Grossman, who may have had an impact with some decent time, come in.
And if nothing else, Grossman would have kept Orton from taking unnecessary blows from a pass rush that was seemingly unstoppable.
But once again, now that it's Orton out there, here's what fans will say: "It's the defense! They're horrible! That's why we lost!"
But wait a second... they were bad last week, and it was Rex Grossman's fault wasn't it...? Why is it different now?
If Rex Grossman can put 173 yds, one TD, and one rush TD and be called the problem when he's facing the No. 1 defense in the league, I'd like to hear the explanation as to why Orton, who completed less than half his passes and put up no TDs, with a fumble today, isn't to blame for this game.
I'm waiting for you to tell me...
Wake up Bears fans. Wake up.
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about 1 month ago
I so much agree with everything you said. I was at the last 2 home games and was super embarassed by the BOO'S for Rex....its painful to hear people boo your team...and ever more painful to see the person they think is so much better than Rex prove he isnt. I have always been a Rex fan and always will. I know he probably can not wait to get away from the Chicago boo's but I wish we would all wake up and realize if we got behind him he could be great!!!
from about 1 month ago
I agree with you, but unfortunately, Grossman's probably done here. Can you imagine what was going through his mind on Sunday, though?
Here is a former 1st round, Superbowl QB sitting on the bench. A QB that has given everything he's got to this team, and has played incredibly well at times; so well that the Bears felt confident enough to let him be in charge against the Tennessee Titans, the number one defense in the land.
And he's sitting there, watching this QB who's been named a captain after doing virtually nothing in his career, who's performed average at best this year, playing hurt with a gimp ankle - and they won't even give him a shot to come in and do what he's there to do - back him up. How could you not put Rex in!? It still drives me nuts! 3 points after halftime and Orton is misfiring and limping all over the place, and you keep him in the game??? Not only after halftime, but all the way into the final minutes of the 4th quarter?
Even if the Bears want Grossman to come back next season, after this game on Sunday, he's probably thinking "F**k this".
about 1 month ago
The only way Rex stays in Chicago is if he is either given other chance to start next year and Orton contract isn't redone (fare competition) or Orton having a career ending injury(only because i think the first one will happen).
from about 1 month ago
They had a "fair competition" this year, and it wasn't fair at all. It was obviously fixed. The Tribune said it best when they wrote:
"Some how Orton won the job with barely 2 quarters of play in which he didn't throw for a TD or a pass longer than 17 yards for that matter".
Even if the Bears ask him back I say he's gone. And it will be a huge mistake.
Just like Mark Bradley was no use to us here right? Not a starting receiver right? How's he doing in Kanasas City by the way? 5 receiving TDs since he's been there, and he's thrown for a TD too? Yeah, he's no good.
about 1 month ago
I can only hope that either the Bears release Orton (not happening) or they some how pick up Matt Cassel. Orton is the backup, no caption QB in the league would came back premature from injury to save his job, putting himself before the team. Yeah, he's properly represents the Chicago Neckbeards.
about 1 month ago
To be fair Orton's ankle limited his already limited mobility. I don't think it was Orton coming back too soon but more than he missed a full week of practice.
You also have to give the packers credit for turning their negative of injured line backers into a positive and playing more defensive backs which seemed to confuse Orton, healthy ankle or not.
from about 1 month ago
If you're limping walking up to the line, then I'm sorry but yes, you came back to soon. It made no sense to bring him back and risk him getting seriously injured for the rest of the season for the sake of one game. Rex has an unblemished record at Lambeau and isn't your everyday backup. After the first half, Orton should've been gone - plain and simple.
And if missing one week of practice makes him THAT bad, he's not an NFL QB. It was obviously the ankle, and it was obvious that Orton was too selfish to sit his ass down for the good of the team.
about 1 month ago
To the guy who wants Matt Cassel:
Cassel: 10 TDs
Orton: 10 TDs
Cassel: 7 interceptions
Orton 4 interceptions
Cassel: QB rating 87.3
Orton: QB raring 88.4
In what way is Cassel better than Orton? Orton doesn't have Welker or Moss either.
about 1 month ago
Calling Kyle Orton selfish is complete B.S. You're screaming in frustration because he came back after half time? Well, the Bears had 4 drives in the first half. The first resulted in a punt, but wasn't a 3 and out (or some other disaster), the second was a field goal, the third was 3 straight handoffs to Forte where our goofy run blocking couldn't convert 3 and 1, and the fourth was the debacle with 1:11 left that happened to include a perfectly thrown pass to Hester that went through Hester's hands.
I agree he should have been pulled at some point in the third quarter, but nothing happened in the first half to warrant pulling. Even with a bad ankle, Kyle put up Rex's typical mid-60s rating. Apparently, Kyle can only perform that badly when he's hobbled. Clearly, Rex lit it up against GB when he finally came in (sarcasm).
You wanna talk about selfishness? How about Rex Grossman requesting to run the scout team when the season started (after he didn't win the QB competition). He took away from Hanie's development, and gave up any reps the #2 QB is supposed to get with the 1st and 2nd team offense. If Rex was rusty against Detroit and Tennessee, it's because he didn't feel he needed to take reps with the Bears offense in practice until after Kyle went down.
Then, when Rex played like crap against the Titans, he spoke in cowardly passive voice, unable to take responsibility. At least Kyle mans up like Mike Brown.
from about 1 month ago
Not sure where you get your info from, but Grossman takes the 2nd team reps along with running the scout team as well. He puts in extra work every week - what's wrong with that?
And when has Grossman not taken responsibility for a loss? Even when they did good he never took any credit. Always complimenting a good route or good protection.
And I hate to burst your bubble, but Rex put up some of the best stats against Tennessee when compared with other QBs this season. Manning tossed 2 picks, David Garrard had 3, Aaron Rodgers had 2... no QB has had great success against them.
You crack me up. My entire news team and I saw that Orton was going to have a long day after the first two passing plays, and you're sitting here defending the decision to keep him in. WHAT GOOD DID IT DO!?
I'm not saying Rex deserves the starting spot or anything - but tfor Orton to stay out there was selfish on his part for not walking over to the coaches after having done literally nothing all afternoon and saying, "I'm not doing any good out there, let's change it up" and it was stupid on Lovie's part for not recognizing the fact that Orton was hurt, Rex was available and that's why they're paying him $1 million this season - to come in when needed - not to sit on the bench when Orton's limping around
Don't take out your anger on me that your neckbearded mancrush aided in us losing at Green Bay for the first time since Lovie took over, if you don't like my opinion, then go elsewhere.
And go back and watch the game over again and tell me that there was no reason to pull him out after the first half. He had three balls that should've been picked off in the first series, was overthrowing receivers left and right and made the team one dimensional. There was no reason to keep him in.
from about 1 month ago
I won't say Orton is selfish so your right, but he is extremly stupid. If he knew he wasn't ready why play? And like I said if he thinks he is ready then the injury is no longer an excuse.
Also do you realize that the Titans have a better defense? Apparently not.
If you think Orton did better in this game where he managed 3 points thanks to Gould opposed to the Titans game where Rex accounted for two TDs your insane.
Like Jimmy said Rex always takes the blame. And people like you are quick to give it to him. I never thought Orton would be the starter and I don't think he should be. This week he proved more greatly that he doesn't deserve to be a starter.
But don't worry we're playing the horrid Rams D so Orton can use that next week.
from about 1 month ago
There's a bizarre Bear man crush going on here...and it sure ain't Susan with Kyle.
about 1 month ago
Well Matt Cassel is a backup, as is Orton, but Cassel does have a better completion percentage, passing and rushing yards, and only lost fifty percent of fumbles. Orton has lost eighty percent of his fumbles, you know that stat that made Grossman a back-up this year.
But your right, no Welker nor Moss. Not like Cassel has Forte to inflate stats.
about 1 month ago
I put the poor offensive preformance completly on Orton. And why shouldn't I ....that's what we did last week right? We blamed Rex....
And if people say that it is because he was injured well then as a captain (like you mentioned) he should know not to play. If he felt he was ready to play then he should be ready to take the heat...of course it is nonexistant because it's never Orton's fault.
Everyone is right Rex probably will leave Chicago. I don't blame him. I really wanna love the Bears, but they make it impossiable from the D which just stopped showing up, to Orton being the starter, to Lovie's bad coaching decisions and the special teams not being outstanding.
about 1 month ago
So Jimmy, you only want comments that agree with you? What's the point of having a comments section if you don't welcome dissenting views? You said at the end of your article "I'm waiting for you to tell me...." So I'm telling you...
Grossman said himself in the Detroit press conference that he was rusty because he had been "Dan Orlovsky" all week in practice. The Chicago Tribune backed that up. If I'm wrong on that, and he takes some 2nd teams reps after all, well OK. I still think he takes away from Hanie's development with his scout team antics, so my point still stands.
If you want to use the "Rex puts up stats better than other QBs than Tennesse" argument, then you can turn around and say Kyle had a better passer rating against Green Bay than Peyton Manning did against GB. Face it, Grossman was terrible against and Kyle was terrible Sunday.
I'm not defending Kyle's play as much as debunking the "Grossman could have saved the game, so therefore Kyle is selfish for playing". At worst, Kyle may have overestimated his capabilities and may have thought he had to push through, which is a HUGE difference between the "Rex might take my job, so I have to play hurt" line that you're putting out there. And which there's no evidence for. That notion is even more ridiculous when the unanimous view after Tennessee was that Rex had done nothing to endanger Kyle's status as the starter--so what would Kyle even have to fear.
And as far as the mancrush goes, well, no. Kyle is a young QB whose played well overall (with the 12th best QB rating in the NFL, with a winning record) and has potential to progress. That's really it. Rex is headed to free agency, we all know that. Even if folks like Rex--we know he's out the door. Either Kyle progresses and gets signed to a long-term deal, or he flounders and we're back at square one with Hanie or a draft pick.
And Waldo---Cassel has almost double the sacks, so that makes his QB rating better because he's not throwing the ball away. At best, they're even, so I'd take Kyle since he has experience in our system. But I'll keep an open mind and perhaps reasses on December 28.
about 1 month ago
Shahrish--Green Bay's pass defense is rated THIRD in the NFL. Tennessee's is rated SIXTH.
The irony here is that I actually don't hate Rex. Yeah, I don't like the scout team thing, but he did OK off the benching in '07. Rex isn't awful, he's just inconsistent. September 2006 Rex is gone, sadly, and we shall never see him again.
This entire article and most of the comments here downright *attack* Kyle so I'm just standing up for the guy. In my original post, all I said was that nothing happened in the first 4 series of the game that screamed "disaster". His throws might have been off, but maybe HE thought that was a bit of rust at that time the game was happening.
If Jimmy wants to say Kyle should have been pulled for "off throws" in the first half, then you could easily say Hanie shoudl have been put in during the Tenn. game when we were down 21-7. I don't actually think Hanie should have come in, but rather that there's inconsistent logic by Jimmy.
from about 1 month ago
HANIE IS A ROOKIE! Are you insane?
Going from Kyle to Rex or Rex to Kyle is NOT the same as going to Hanie! Grossman's been to a Superbowl and Orton has at least a full season under his belt, Hanie has never taken a regular season NFL snap in his life!
We're 5-5 atop the division and have a chance to make it to the playoffs and to even suggest that Hanie come in whether you believe it or not is insane.
And Susan, the fact that Green Bay's pass defense is rated third is irrelevant when you consider how bad their run defense is.
The Titans are 6th in overall defense and the Packers are 16th - Please, there is no comparison. Teams also pass less against Green Bay because you can normally run all day on them, which is one of the reasons they're ranked higher. Thanks to Orton's inept play, there was no reason to defend the pass so they stacked the box and rushed him all day.
And the total defense is based upon YPG. Consider that Tennessee leads the league in interceptions, and gives up only 10 points per game as opposed to the 20 points that Green Bay gives up a game. If you're trying to compare Green Bay's defense to the Titans to make it seem more like Grossman did poorly and make it seem more like Orton did average then you're a fool.
And you're upset because my article attacked Orton after he refused to take a seat when he was obviously limited in what he could do, but you're fine with the way people have mentally and physically attacked Grossman? ARE YOU KIDDING ME!? After Orton's piss poor day, the worst thing said about him by the professional media is that he gave it his best... that's it. Did you see all the stuff written about Grossman after the Tennesee game? Or how about the things that have been said about him before? That he had down syndrome? That he's a mental midget? PLEASE! And you're pissed that I called Orton out because he had a bad game??? Are you joking???
I invite all the arguments in the world, but you can expect a retaliation when you back it up so poorly. The truth is, most fans hate Rex just because and it's stupid. So why give other QBs the treatment and understanding Grossman never received? Why?
from about 1 month ago
Okay but I'm looking at this
http://www.nfl.com/stats/categorystats?season=2008&seasonType=REG&defensiveStatisticCategory=GAME_STATS&d-447263-o=2&conference=ALL&tabSeq=2&role=OPP&d-447263-p=1&d-447263-s=TOTAL_POINTS_SCORED&d-447263-n=1
in overall points allowed (pass and rush) the Titans have allowed the fewest, but Rex scored more against them then Orton did against the Packers.
And why does it bother you to see people attack Orton....how often does that happen?
do you really see people attacking Orton as often as Rex is attacked? Really think about it. Putting Hanie in is stupid because the strange love for him over preseason games is absurd. If we wanna win we can't just throw in a rookie QB.
Its not simply because we were down that I didn't want Orton in the game. I know if Rex played this game people would have been screaming for Hanie to come in you included I'm sure. The thing that fustrates me is why doesn't Orton get that treatment.
Yeah maybe Rex has been inconsistent, but he goes out there each game and wants to lead his offense to win the game not just to keep from making mistakes. I'll be the first to admitt that Orton has played well, but that doesn't mean he should be starting.
Rex might leave this team, but I will never stop believing in him because for one thing I'm not a fair weather fan and another I truly do believe he can be an very above average QB.
You don't have to agree with me I'm not asking you to, but I'd like for there to be equal treatment of the two QBs at the least and it is apparent from your comments that you don't view both of them in the same light
about 1 month ago
Jimmy--You completely MISREAD my Hanie comment. REREAD the end of my comment, where I said "I don't think Hanie should actually could have come in". I'm saying that if you make the argument that "someone should be pulled after a shaky series"--then you could say that about any QB, including Rex. What you're saying about Kyle after the 1st quarter is as ridiculous as someone saying "pull Rex for Hanie".
I never said I was fine with people mentally and physically attacking Rex.
But statements like, "deep down, we all know we would have gotten more done with Grossman behind the helm today" just defy common sense.
At best you can say, "MAYBE, good Rex emerges and the game could have gone better. OR MAYBE he has a 0 QB rating because he's already thinking about New Year's and it's still a complete disaster." That's Rex--INCONSISTENT. Like Forrest Gump once said, you never know what you are going to get.
AND FYI--We were able to run on GB--uh, hello 4.2 YPC. We had to abandon it because we were down. And although Forte had some good runs, the game-turning drive was the one after Urlacher's interception. Yeah, it was totally Orton's fault when we couldn't convert 3rd and 1 after three straight run plays (sarcasm).
When you get down by a lot points, NFL teams pass--which is why when a team has a large lead, they focus on defending a pass.
About Tenn and GB--I don't have the stats handy, but the GB secondary isn't doing too shabby when it comes to takeaways and interceptions. Yes, the pass D is rated higher due to how teams can run. Put GB is doing fairly well in the "passer rating against" stat (meaning QBs don't post good ratings against them). I am merely pointing out your hypocrisy in defending Rex's performance with the argument that the Tenn defense is so awe-inspiring that it justifies 7 straight punts, because it's a bad argument. KYLE and REX BOTH--I REPEAT--BOTH played badly.
I can acknowledge that Kyle played poorly against GB though. Yet, you embody the hypocrisy that you accuse Orton supporters of.
You are a blind a Rex homer, period. Septmber 2006 is over!!!
One final thought about the "double standard" of why Rex gets heat, while Kyle does not. I'll tone down the snark for this: Look, I feel bad for Rex. He did get some harsh critiscm at times that was over the top and was sometimes blamed for things that weren't his fault. Last year, he did have to suffer with a bad o-line, cedric benson, and dropped passes. Like I said in another comment, I don't hate him and thought he did OK coming off the benching.
But when Kyle was named starter, and improved from game to game, he won me over. He's not perfect. Just a young QB with 20-something starts who has potential. He may not pan out, then again, maybe he might. I'm tired of the QB carousel. To see a promising guy who's played well and put us in a position to win (other than GB game) is encouraging. And that's the thing. Kyle doesn't have as many starts as Rex and has banked some credibility with his 88 QB rating. So people are more forgiving. Plus, people are so angry at the defense. I think that if we had a top 5 defense, Kyle would draw more heat. And, yes the defense is HUGE reason why we lost. The Defense gets more ire because that's where the money and star power are invested in the team.
You're article was mean-spirited. And your comments further still. Yet, I sunk to your level by fighting fire with fire. You're upset with people who criticize Rex, while you SLANDER Kyle. Your logic is faulty from your first word to the last. I destroyed your logic and dismantled your arguments completely, but you can't take it.
Go to bed now with your picture of Rex under your pillow.
about 1 month ago
"Did you feel good watching your team struggle a week ago Sunday against Tennesssee? Watching receivers get overthrown and balls float through the air? Did you feel vindicated in your assumption that Rex can do no wrong, no matter what?"
from about 1 month ago
Ok look, I'm not going to continue to argue with you.
You've made your point. Let's move on and not continue attacking each other on the message boards. And I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't respond to each and every poster on here who disagrees with you with a two page post.
We know you don't favor Rex and that you're behind Kyle - we get it. Let's move on.
about 1 month ago
And just to give everyone a heads up, I'm not the only one who feels this way:
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/83359-rex-grossmans-true-role-for-the-chicago-bears-team-scapegoat/poll_results#poll
It's not a matter of who I favor, it's a matter of fans treating one QB one way and one QB another way and it's one of the most ridiculous, unfounded, and cruel gestures I've seen. And it just makes half of you look like idiots on top of it. I'm sorry but that's my opinion, you don't like it - too bad.
from about 1 month ago
Fair enough. Sorry if I was a bit harsh in these comments. I guess at the end of the day, we both want the same thing. Both QBs should be acknowledged for the good things they do, both should bear responsibility for the bad things they do, and both are sometimes going to be helped/hindered by the players around them.
But no more two-age posts?! What am I going to now to procrastinate at work? :) (j/k)
from about 1 month ago
FWIW--If Kyle doesn't pan out after all, he'll be getting some heat soon enough.
about 1 month ago
That's how it is with ever QB, Kerry Collins in New York, he took them to a super bowl but became a journeyman after that. Unless you win a super bowl, the quarterback will never be fully loved in the cities they represent.
about 1 month ago
Also Cassel two straight game of over 400 yards. Watch out, Cassel looking Brady like.
about 1 month ago
and now tonight shows that Orton isn't as super human as the Bears Fan have called him since early in the season, three interceptions at Minnesota. Only two games in which he played superb, lets see how the fan justify this performance without questioning the coaching decision on 3rd and 4th down on the goalline. We know it's stupid, but I just want Orton to be fairly reamed the same way Grossman was. Lovie can't be a genius with "the bumbling "Rex and a coach on the hot seat with "savior" Kyle. I'm not buying that it's all on the coach.
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