Centerfield

My prediction is that the game won't end as a tie....

More seriously, the Colts should win if they can just avoid turnovers and sustain a decent ground game. Manning's certainly the better QB in the air--but the Chicago defense is not a bunch of pushovers, and they excel at forcing turnovers.

Should be fun, and could be a much better matchup than the book indicates.

Boy, what a rainy and miserable game for the players that was! Especially the Bears, of course...

I was sorry to see the Bears lose. But they certainly can't say that the Colts didn't try to give it to them over and over. From the opening kick-off....

The bigger game Can't blame the rain on this. No real running game. Turn-overs, not aggressive enough on the short passes, or even the run. But you can't let your D play 70% of game on the field. Maybe next year a covered dome? Perfer pasties to Prince? Colts certainly deserve congrats. Four straight with a defense that didn't quit.

Once again the number #1 stat that correlates with "win" is turnovers. If not for trading the ball back and forth in the first half with turnovers, the Colts would have locked it by halftime. Instead they had to get another turnover....

Seriously, Chicago had ZERO offense going. Nothing. Get the ball, give it away. Lose. Badly.

Weather? This one was the Soup Bowl....

Exactly right Tully. Zero offense. Benson lost the ball and then was knocked out of the game. KInd of makes you long for Payton. Manning made passes and Grossman didn't even hit wide open receivers. Down and outs are not run for a one yard gain. If you leave your D on the field for so long, what can you expect? It wasn't close and rain should have hurt Colts more than the Bears. No excuse to hold the biggest game in a downpour. It should be played inside a closed dome.

Bottom line is that Colts stood up a sold defense for four straight games. You have to tip your hat. It was easier to swallow because D was the Decider. Unfortuantely, it was Colts D against an offense that was clearly offensive. I wonder if Grossman should be back.

There is a surplus of good QBs. Did anyone see that pre-game highlight of the hit an Eagle put on Bush? Gees.....Didn't stop New Orleans from winning the game.

Da Bears.....

Lucky for me I didn't even take eight points.

The question on Grossman has to be: Is he a development project which is worth continuing? Or is it time to go for someone who is already developed?

I suspect that he was just in over his head at the moment. Chicago got there on Defense, and then the defense wasn't sufficient to cope with the Colts. If they had had a couple more years to develop Grossman, it might have been another story. But after this, I suspect that Grossman won't get the time he needs to grow into the job -- at least, not in Chicago.

It's important to remember that Grossman is really a rookie, having been injured the last two years and missing substantial chunks of the season. I see him coming back fine from this if he gets support in Chicago which Lovie Smith seems to be willing to provide. Of course, he looked like he was about to wet his pants a couple of times too so who knows.

On a sort of related note, Vegas probably got killed in this game. If you know anything about how teasers work, you'll know why.

See this is why I come here. :-) 2 guys willing to at least give Grossman a pube's worth of benefit of the doubt.

I said all the same stuff to a buddy this am. He's still young, he played a big part in many of the team's wins, why be so sure he can't ever get it done based on only his first full season as a starter. Sure he's been inconsistent and has made his share of mistakes, but he makes som ebig plays, and many of the ones last night shouldn't really count as "unforced errors."

The one play I really felt a little bad for the kid was when he underthrew his WR downfield and got intercepted. That ball clearly slipped out of his hand and floated, and it had been pouring all game. Sometimes god just says no.

Unfortunately, Chicago is a bit like Boston, a big city with a ton of football fans. You get the sort of coverage where, hey, we have an empty cross, and SOMEONE has to go up on it. Grossman is the one. He'll attract a posse of haters, and if he struggles early, it's hot seat time for coach and qb. Lovie Smith doesn't seem like the sort to panic, so maybe it turns out ok. And OTOH, maybe Grossman shows his bad judgement is a congenital defect. Time will tell.

Here's the thing. You have to give the Colts credit, especially the devil Manning. He found the open guy on 3rd down time after time after time. It's not Rex Grossman's fault that the Bears defense couldn't get off the field.

Da Bears became "D'oh! Bears" last night! YUCK

Grossman lived up to his name...as in he GROSSLY underthrew BOTH of his intercepted passes...and then he couldn't get a break! When he actually worked the pocket well and got the ball out to his WRs, they dropped it!

When T. Jones ran well it went ok..except for being called back for penaltie...
Talk about being snakebit!

Just to add..after having lived in Detroit for the last several years, it felt (to me) like the bears took the game off and the Lions showed up dressed in their uniforms..but that didn't last..the Lions can't even put up 10 points on a regular basis!

I cut Grossman a break because Benson was out. It's a LOT easier to defend against a team that's basically just throwing, because then you call blitzes virtually every play and take advantage of the knowledge you don't have to worry about runs.

The same thing's happened to Manning plenty when Harrison's been out or slow, and the Colts were playing against good Ds.

My favorite for stupidest comment of the game was when they doubted Benson out was making much difference. Trust me, it would've been much closer-fought, otherwise.

I'm not sure Benson being out was nearly as much a factor as some questionable play-calling by Chicago. The Bears did just fine all season relying heavily on Jones and he ran for a little 52 yarder in the first quarter.

I think the real turning point came when the Bears were down 19-14 in the third and facing a second and 1 at the Indy 45. Smith calls a pass in that situation, giving Grossman all the rope he needed to hang himself and next thing you know, he fumbles on third down making it fourth and 23 from the Chicago 33. You've got 1 yard to gain, down 5 points in the third quarter, the opposing team has held the ball for basically the last 12 minutes or so and you're going to pass on second down and 1 with a rookie QB in the rain?

Take out the 52 yarder and Jones still averaged 4.28 per carry. However, he only carried it 15 times. To me, that's all on the head coache's shoulders. How the game plan wasn't to give it to whatever RB they had 30-40 times is beyond me. They played right into the Colts hands, keeping their defense on the field for long periods of time.