(My Sportsbook) - Chicago Bear fans may finally get to see backup quarterback Brian Griese over the final two weeks of the regular season. Of course, it has nothing to do with a quarterback controversy, and everything to do with the fact that Lovie Smith can rest some of his regulars now that Chicago, with their 34-31 overtime win over Tampa Bay, has clinched homefield advantage throughout the playoffs.
"It's not like we're going to shut down our team. We have a few things to correct going into the playoffs," Smith said.
Among those things, surprisingly, is the defense, which gave up 31 second-half points at home to a pathetic Buccaneer offense that was averaging around 11 points per game heading into Week 15.
"Obviously, you give up 31 points, it's not our best game. It was good enough to win, though," Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher said.
"We're 12-2, we have home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. What more do you want from us at this point in time?"
A few weeks ago, the answer to that question would have been "better play at the quarterback position." However, after throwing for a career-high 339 yards (the first 300-yard passing game by a Bears quarterback since 2002), two touchdowns, and no interceptions Sunday, Rex Grossman is playing well enough to quiet all of the naysayers.
"Three hundred yards looks good on paper, but as long as we win, that's the only thing that counts," Grossman said.
"Rex, the last two weeks, is back to the way he was playing earlier in the year," said offensive coordinator Ron Turner. "Earlier in the year, he was playing great football. Everybody forgot about that, and just remembered a couple of those bad games he had and forgot he was Player of the Month [in September] and Player of the Week twice, and that he was playing very well and very efficient."
With two weeks to go, it's not certain how much playing time Grossman and the rest of the starters will receive. A year ago, Chicago was in a similar position and opted to sit Grossman during the final week of the season, despite him still shaking off some of the rust from having missed the first 14 games. The difference was that there was there was no risk of having the distraction of people calling for backup Kyle Orton to start in the playoffs.
The same cannot be said if Brian Griese goes out and plays well. Some may remember what happened to the Buffalo Bills in 1999, when starter Doug Flutie sat out the final week of the season in order to rest for the Wild Card round, only to have his job given to backup Rob Johnson. Lovie Smith would never make such a foolish move late in the year, but that doesn't mean that talk radio shows and Chicago sports columnists wouldn't at least bring up the idea.
TANK JOHNSON'S FUTURE UNCERTAIN
Bears management is undoubtedly becoming frustrated with defensive tackle Tank Johnson, who seems to expose one character flaw after another. Just hours after issuing a public apology for his most recent arrest (firearms violation after police raided his Gurnee, Illinois home), Johnson was at a club where his bodyguard and close friend, Willie Posey, was shot and killed. Posey, 26, had also been arrested as part of the police raid of Johnson's home.
The defensive tackle was inactive for the Bucs game Sunday, and Lovie Smith did not have an update on his status.
"I think whenever you get into trouble, and it's not the first time, there's some concern on his part," Smith said. "But I haven't told Tank anything (because) when you lose your best friend, there's a grieving period that you go through.
"No decisions have been made about (his status). I have a little bit of input on most things around here, and this will be one of them."
It was reported that Johnson told teammates he is afraid that his days with Chicago are over. Bears players have come to Johnson's defense throughout the week.
"I support him 100 percent, but that's not even the issue right now," cornerback Charles Tillman said. "We're 12-2, that's the issue. We're playing for the moment, the now - the now."
"He's a really good guy," middle linebacker Brian Urlacher said. "He got himself in a bad situation. I don't think it's as bad as people are making it out to be. He's a great guy. He had some bad timing with a couple of things. I know he wants to turn it around and get things going in the right direction. Hopefully, he gets a chance."
The Bears are already without the league's best defensive tackle, Tommie Harris, who is out for the season with a hamstring injury. But considering the severity of Johnson's legal problems, the depth chart might not be a significant factor when the team makes a decision on the lineman's future.
WHO'S HOT
Tight end Desmond Clark had an unexpected coming out party against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and their strong pass-covering linebackers. Clark had a career- high seven receptions for 125 yards and two touchdowns.
WHO'S NOT
As great as he's been, return ace Devin Hester displayed his greatest stigma on Sunday, when he fumbled three times against Tampa Bay. Fortunately for Chicago, just one of Hester's fumbles was lost. The record-setting rookie had five kickoff return opportunities, but averaged just 15.2 yards per. His most exciting work came on his six punt returns, which he seemed to average 25 yards of total running per return but just a little over 10 of yards actual yards gained.
NEXT UP
The Bears travel to Motown to face the 2-12 Lions.
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Andy Benoit is the author of Touchdown 2006: Everything You Need to Know About the NFL This Year. For more information or to contact Benoit, visit www.touchdown2006.com.
