Category — Chicago Bears

What You Say: Quarterback

What I Say: Offensive Line, Wide Receiver, Safety

Unlike most fans, I don’t think that the Bears greatest need is at quarterback. Rex Grossman is still a relatively inexperienced and young quarterback at roughly the same stage of development as a player like Matt Leinart (considering actual game time — Grossman, as most will remember, had a history of injuries).

But the team does have other issues on offense. The Bears struggled for the first time in years to run the ball effectively and the quarterback, whether it was Griese or Grossman or Orton, had little time in the pocket. That reflects on the offensive line. Meanwhile, tackle Fred Miller and guard Ruben Brown are both nearing the end of their career. Clearly, the Bears should do something in the draft to acquire some new talent on the line.

It might have been one deep pass, but that just might be enough for Grossman to take back his starting spot with the Chicago Bears. A 59-yard bomb to Bernard Berrian meant the go-ahead score for Chicago on a day when neither Oakland nor the Bears could get any offense going and it seemed as if a 6-3 outcome was probable.

But Grossman’s one monster throw of the day — he was 7-14 for 142 yards and 1 score in the game — kept the Bears’ season alive.

“It was unbelievable, something you can’t describe to someone who hasn’t been in that position,” Grossman said. “It’s a great feeling to come in and be able to pull one out.”

The city of Philadelphia is losing patience with Donovan McNabb and the relationship between the two continues to worsen. This is not a city known for its love, not when it comes to sports. These fans are die-hards — the best kind — but there comes a point when you need to relax and not call for a rookie quarterback to replace your franchise quarterback.

But that’s the case. As one’s career nears its end, another is ready to step up (sort of). Kevin Kolb is no Donovan McNabb, at least not yet. His mechanics are still maturing, as is his adjustment to the pro game. Is he ready? No. But fans don’t care. They want to see Kolb step in and lead the team to the promised land.

Chicago fans are going to criticize Rex Grossman and call for his head — or at least his immediate replacement — until Brian Griese sees the lineup. Or Grossman makes up for things with a string of huge games.

But after watching Sunday night’s game against the Cowboys, a game in which you might think the Bears were destroyed based on the final score, 34-10, I feel it incumbent upon myself to tell the whole story. If you look a little closer, you might notice that the Bears were hanging with Dallas’s offense until the fourth quarter when Dallas would score 17 unanswered points (7 of which the direct result of a Grossman interception).

The third week of NFL action kicks off tomorrow, and now might be a good time to quickly preview some of the most intriguing games to watch Sunday and Monday night. And don’t forget that you can check how 5 football minds expect the games to play out at NFL Experts Pick ‘em.

Arizona @ Baltimore — Both teams enter tomorrow’s matchup with a 1-1 record and an eye on their respective division crowns. Neither is a sure-thing to win Sunday, though the Vegas spread (Baltimore by 8 ) might make you believe Baltimore will coast to a victory.

Start ‘em!

These are players who figure to have a breakout week. Notice that you won’t find any fantasy studs, for the obvious reason that you should be starting those players week in and out. It doesn’t matter that Steven Jackson hasn’t taken off yet — you still need to start him. It’s early, a lot of top players are in a slump right now. Don’t lose faith and take a chance on someone who might have a good week — you’ll probably just get burned.

Cadillac Williams — He might only have 121 yards this season, but the Rams have a very porous defense when it comes to stopping the run. Ranked 25th in the league, they’ve been shredded for nearly 140 per game. Expect Jon Gruden to take advantage of the weakness and put the ball in Williams’ hands this week.

Bears tight end Greg Olsen is optimistic about his recent knee injury, though he still won’t specify his condition for Chicago’s season opener Sunday.

“Everything is good, it’s just going to take a little time to get it back to full strength,” Olsen said. “But it’s nothing too serious. It’s just a matter of rehabbing it.”

Olsen also went on to say that he doesn’t have any “structural damage,” which could be translated to mean he won’t be out for an extended period of time. In fact, he doesn’t expect to be sidelined long. Unfortunately, it does little for fantasy owners who want to know his status this week.

ESPN analyst John Clayton is predicting a great season for the Chicago Bears Cedric Benson.

“Cedric Benson has a different running style than Thomas Jones, but he should have a great season. Jones ran for 1,330 yards in 2005 and 1,210 yards in 2006. Benson has the potential to better that.”

I agree. Benson is a physical runner with a great burst and he has the ability to make big plays on offense for the Bears when he finds his groove. The biggest thing for him is getting to that. Too many times last season he was pulled from games after a couple consecutive series. Benson is the type of back who grows stronger as games progress and he gets more touches.

Last season the Saints were predicted to disappoint (again), the Cardinals to be the league’s sleeping giant, and Peyton Manning was still considered a choke artist. Then we all watched as the Saints pulled off a miracle, the Cardinals never awoke from their slumber, and Peyton Manning is now on the same pedestal as Tom Brady (a notch higher, in this writer’s opinion).

Hey, no one can get ‘em all right. But I’ll still try.

Just kick back and watch as the following 10 predictions come to fruition by the end of the season.

Sleepers. Underrated. Whatever you want to call them, these 10 players are poised for a breakout few are predicting.

10. T.J. Duckett (RB, Detroit Lions) — He might be third in the rotation, but Duckett is the Lions’ goal line back. And with an improving offense, he should see plenty of red zone and short yardage situations. Consider him a reincarnation of Jerome Bettis, circa 2005, someone who will score touchdowns while not putting up a little yardage. The best part is that he’ll be drafted late — think rounds 13-14 — where he’s undervalued.

9. Donovan McNabb (QB, Philadelphia Eagles) — Everyone is nervous McNabb will get hurt. And maybe he will, but until he does he’s easily a number one fantasy quarterback, someone who will average 250 yards and 2 touchdowns each game he starts.