What’s wrong with Rex Grossman? Is it mental, physical or a little of both? The Bears quarterback’s performance — or lack thereof — during Monday night’s exhibition against Indianapolis likely gave fans a panic attack. Grossman threw an interception and fumbled
three times, losing one of them, and mishandled snaps from center Olin Kreutz. Grossman’s tenure as a starter appears to be on life support. It’s up to his fans to perform an emergency operation during this crisis of confidence.
MENTAL CASE
Also diagnosed as “mental blocks.” These lapses contributed to two turnovers (and nearly a third) in just 25 plays of a preseason game. Still, he completed about 82 percent of his passes against the Colts, about the same percentage he had against Houston in the preseason opener, though he had an 87.5 quarterback rating in that game, compared to 51.1 on Monday night. This kind of inconsistency would be tolerable in a 26-year-old with 24 regular-season games under his belt, but a Super Bowl contender doesn’t have that luxury.
CHIP ON HIS SHOULDER
Whether it’s for public display or a testament to his steely resolve, Grossman is like a cocky cornerback in his ability to quickly dismiss his mistakes. “I promise you it won’t be a problem,” he said Monday night. “I haven’t lost any [momentum], and I hope Chicago fans and everyone else hasn’t lost any.
BUTTER FINGERS
On Monday night, Colts defender Robert Mathis knocked the ball out of Grossman’s hands on the Colts’ 25-yard line, and Ed Johnson recovered. Grossman dropped a snap on the next series at his own 4. Later in the second quarter, the ball hit the ground again when it fell out of Grossman’s hands at the Colts’ 3, but center Olin Kreutz recovered. One of the knocks on Grossman when he was drafted was that he has small hands for an NFL quarterback. Whether that’s valid, or he just lacks concentration and ball security, becomes moot when the ball falls into the other team’s possession.
PAIN IN THE cABOOSE
The sharp pain from Lovie Smith’s shoe when and if the Bears coach boots him from the starting lineup. Brian Griese relieved Grossman in the second quarter and led the Bears to a touchdown pass in his first drive.
HAPPY FEET
The Bears this off-season blamed much of Grossman’s problems on mechanics, particularly his footwork. They stressed that when quarterbacks dance around in the pocket, don’t get their feet set and throw off the back foot, bad things happen.
BUTTERFLIES
It’s time to do a gut-check. Grossman appeared to be confident in his first series, eluding pocket pressure and moving the ball into Colts territory. But when that first drive ended in a lost fumble, Grossman seemed to unravel, and the avalanche of miscues began. Playing a nationally televised rematch of the most embarrassing game of your short career — on the road, no less — might not have helped matters.
