Make no mistake
Grossman quiets critics with display of old form; Hester returns two kickoffs for TDs
ST. LOUIS -- The Rex Grossman watch was so intense, when Hunter Hillenmeyer stepped off a team bus Monday at the Edward Jones Dome, a posse of cameras was trained directly on the Bears linebacker.
''I had eight cameras right in my face,'' Hillenmeyer said. ''I didn't have the heart to say, 'You've got the wrong guy.'''
''I had eight cameras right in my face,'' Hillenmeyer said. ''I didn't have the heart to say, 'You've got the wrong guy.'''
The pressure on Grossman was that real as the Bears arrived in St.Louis, intent on maintaining their lead atop the NFC. In some circles, the question was when, not if, Brian Griese would replace Grossman, who has been called the quarterback of the future for four seasons.
(AP)
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The pressure on Grossman was that real as the Bears arrived in St.Louis, intent on maintaining their lead atop the NFC. In some circles, the question was when, not if, Brian Griese would replace Grossman, who has been called the quarterback of the future for four seasons.
Not so fast. Devin Hester made NFL history with kickoff returns for touchdowns of 94 and 96 yards, and Grossman delivered his best performance in a month, staving off the calls for his ouster and securing a first-round bye in the playoffs for the Bears, who improved to 11-2 with a 42-27 victory over the Rams. With three games to go, they hold a two-game lead on the New Orleans Saints (9-4) for the No. 1 seed in the NFC.
At times, Grossman didn't even look like himself -- especially when he tucked the ball away in the first quarter as the pocket collapsed and raced 22 yards for a first down. It was what he talked about all week, reacting to what he saw instead of thinking about it.
''It was easy to relax,'' he said. ''There was a lot of pressure on me to do that, so I had to do it. I played with a sense of rhythm and efficiency.''
He was decisive with his reads, crisp with his throws and hung in under duress, finishing with 200 yards on 13-of-23 passing, two touchdowns and -- most important -- no turnovers.
With a lead in the second half, the Bears pounded the run and wound up with 172 rushing yards. Thomas Jones, who went over 1,000 for the season with 76 on 11 carries, had a 30-yard touchdown in the third quarter before leaving with a minor left ankle sprain. Cedric Benson gained 64 yards on 16 carries, and Adrian Peterson got into the action, scoring on a one-yard plunge early in the fourth quarter to make it 35-13. Peterson's 32-yard gain on a third-quarter screen pass had set up Muhsin Muhammad's 14-yard touchdown on a perfectly thrown fade route.
After that score, Grossman was slapping the helmet of every teammate in reach with a grin as wide as the Gateway Arch.
''Rex went through a lot this week,'' coach Lovie Smith said. ''His game has been dissected by everyone that knows anything about football. A lot of pressure [was] on him. He really stepped up, did exactly what we expected him to do.''
The Bears had prepared to make a change. As reported initially by the Sun-Times, the repetitions in practice last week were split down the middle between Grossman and Griese. Without defensive tackle Tommie Harris the rest of the season -- he will undergo surgery on his left hamstring today -- the pressure is on the offense more than ever.
It looked like it might be a long night when the Rams drove 99 yards to take a 6-0 lead on a one-yard pass from Marc Bulger to Torry Holt. But one of the Bears' best offensive weapons, Hester, struck back immediately with a 94-yard kickoff return that put the Bears ahead 7-6 and gave him a league record with five special-teams returns for touchdowns in one season -- a mark he would add to in the fourth quarter.
Steven Jackson scored on a two-yard run to put St. Louis (5-8) ahead 13-7. Then Grossman made one of his best plays of the night. Sensing the Rams were in a blitz, he hit wide receiver Bernard Berrian on a quick slant, and Berrian raced between cornerback Fakhir Brown and safety O.J. Atogwe for a 34-yard touchdown, his fifth of the season and first in more than two months.
After the Rams had pulled to 35-20 midway through the fourth quarter, the Bears had the hands team in, expecting an onside kick. Instead, Hester went 96 yards for another score.
Hester was the smashing highlight of the evening, but Grossman's performance was what the Bears needed most.
''I was just happy for my teammates and coaches,'' Grossman said. ''For my teammates, just allowing them to make plays, allowing them to have fun. Obviously, I wanted to respond the way the coaches were backing me.''
bbiggs@suntimes.com