Rex Grossman was still answering questions Sunday night on the floor of Lambeau Field when cornerback Charles Tillman ran over, hugged his fellow 2003 draft classmate and put a white cap on Grossman’s head that said “2005 NFC North Champions.”
When the inevitable questions came about how he was feeling, the answer was right there on the cap.
“I feel like a division champion,” a smiling Grossman said.
He looked like a division-champion quarterback for parts of Sunday’s victory and occasionally looked like something considerably short of a playoff QB. He finished with a pedestrian 11 completions in 23 attempts, threw an ill-advised interception and managed 166 yards, 120 of those in the first half.
His passer rating improved to 68.4 against the Packers from the 47.1 of his half of play against Atlanta, in which he completed 9 of 16 but only for 93 yards and one interception. “I played about the same, made a few plays,” he said.
“Our line did a heck of a job because I had time to throw the deep balls downfield, and our guys had time to run the routes. I just wanted to make a few plays.”
Grossman said his stamina was fine late in the game, although he tailed off significantly following a torrid start. After completing five of his first six passes on the opening drive, he struggled through a stretch when he hit only three of 12 passes before connecting on three of his final five.
Grossman is not expected to be among those starters given a lot of time off next week at Minnesota if only because he needs playing time with the playoffs only three weeks away.
The Bears’ accomplishment of becoming the NFC’s No. 2 seed means Grossman will have a bye week after the Vikings game in which to polish skills that are not what they were before he broke his ankle in the exhibition season.
“Obviously, I think I would have been further along if I had played the whole season,” Grossman said. “But it is what it is, and I went out there and tried to do my best.”
His attempts to do his best made an immediate impact. Whether specifically because of Grossman’s passing capabilities, the game plan contained an express goal of exploiting the deep areas of Green Bay’s defense more than it appeared the Bears have attacked any defense this season.
The Bears expected the Packers’ safeties to come toward the line in run support, which safeties had done much of this season against Kyle Orton and the run-based team. This time, however, the Bears were willing to gamble on their quarterback’s arm, something coordinator Ron Turner was reluctant to do with Orton, whose strength in college had been short and intermediate passes.
Grossman set the tone on the Bears’ first snap, launching a throw to speed receiver Bernard Berrian. The pass covered 45 yards in the air and led Berrian slightly too much, but Grossman was making a statement to the Packers and to his team.
He followed two plays later with a 21-yard completion to Berrian, an 8-yarder to Justin Gage and throws of 20, 4 and 12 yards to Muhammad, the last one for the Bears’ first touchdown.
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jmullin@tribune.com
