As he looks back on it, Rick Mirer says, there is a reason why he had such a successful rookie season in Seattle, an explanation for the NFL records for attempts, completions and yards thrown, beyond a raw talent that was evident from the time he was 10.
When Mirer recalls the good times that suddenly seem very long ago, he remembers the guidance he received from former Seahawks and now New England Patriots offensive coordinator Larry Kennan. And as Mirer prepared last week for his first regular-season start as the Bears’ starting quarterback, he found himself thinking more and more of Kennan, whom he will see this weekend in Foxboro.
“He knew how to handle the situation we were in because it wasn’t a case where we were going to be real good that year or those couple of years,” Mirer says. “But he was patient with me and understood how much I could handle and what would help us win. He made me feel comfortable.”
Kennan says he certainly did not feel as if he was coddling the rookie.
“The first time Rick ever stepped into the huddle in Seattle, no one ever saw him before, and yet everyone knew he was the guy in charge because he had a presence beyond his years,” Kennan says. “That’s something that never goes away. That’s something a guy is born with or acquires early in life.”
Patience was paramount, and it’s still relevant five years later, for a certain amount of it will be necessary if Mirer is to develop into the top-caliber quarterback the Bears are counting on.
“In Seattle, we always knew there was a long way to go, but it wasn’t like we were going to fix it all during the season and we never focused on negative things,” Mirer says. “We corrected stuff and we moved on. Larry was upbeat, and he just made it easy to do your job. And if you made a mistake, it wasn’t the end of the world.”
Mirer says he still remembers much of what Kennan taught him, the importance of being even-keeled, and now the challenge is to apply those lessons in an atmosphere where winning is of the essence.
“The thing to remember is that one game or one play might not fix everything, and I understand that coming in,” Mirer says. “But if you can play well and do well and be happy and feel good about this game this week, it can only help you have a good attitude and get ready for the next one.”
Kennan attributes many of the problems that arose for Mirer after he and head coach Tom Flores left to the Seahawks’ personnel.
“A quarterback needs good guys around him to blossom,” Kennan says, adding that he would be surprised if Mirer doesn’t find himself again.
“He has something most guys can’t conceive of having,” Kennan says. “Whether it’s charisma or leadership ability or just handling yourself in difficult situations, you can’t teach it. You don’t lose those qualities. And you don’t lose the ability to scramble, to run, to be an athlete out there. Like I told (Bears coach) Dave Wannstedt before they traded for him, he has all the things that warranted being chosen with the (second) pick in the draft.”
Wannstedt says he just hopes Mirer is not judged too soon with the Bears. “He has not been put in an easy situation,” he says. “It’s a shame we don’t have a full arsenal to help him with four starters out on offense (linemen Todd Perry and Chris Villarrial, running back Rashaan Salaam and receiver Curtis Conway). But there’s nothing we can do about it.”
Regardless of the inherent pressure of leading a 3-0 team into the teeth of the AFC East and the defending Super Bowl runner-up on Sunday, Mirer says he welcomes it.
“It’s a huge challenge,” he says. “We’re playing a great team, and we’re playing without some of the guys we planned on having. But we’re still going to go, we’re still going to play and play to win. In this league, the favored team doesn’t always win.”
Wannstedt says one of the things he likes best about his new quarterback is his winning pedigree.
“Going back to when he was 10 years old in the punt, pass and kick contests, the guy has done nothing but win and have success,” Wannstedt says. “The last two years in Seattle had to be a shock to him.”
Still, Mirer says he has learned some things from losing, and those, too, are lessons he carries with him.
“Not everybody was as lucky as I was early,” he says. “I benefited a lot going to the school (Notre Dame) where I did. Now I’ve gotten to see what it’s like to not do so well and I respect the other side even more. You realize how fragile it all is.”
