NEWS: Short on options at QB? Try this: 1: Run. 2: Run

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Short on options at QB? Try this: 1: Run. 2: Run. 3: See 1 and 2.


It’s Friday, and I have all the answers . . .


Tennessee has a ferocious pass rush. One way to defang a ferocious pass rush is with the screen play. Rex Grossman, union leader of the Lollipop Guild, is generally too short to see through the big boys to execute the screen and last week threw a pass to a guy who was about to become a defensive lineman's entrée.

Another way to defang a ferocious pass rush by using a quick drop and quick slant. Problem is, even the Lions quickly learned that all they had to do was take one step and put up their hands to deflect passes from the star of "Honey, I Shrunk the Quarterback."

So maybe the best way to take the Titans' pass rush out of the game is to run. And run. And run some more. The Titans have been gashed on the ground by Green Bay's Ryan Grant and Indianapolis' Dominic Rhodes in recent weeks. Matt Forte, your table is ready.

Speaking of pass rushes, the Bears don't have one. The Bears' defensive line apparently requires a court order to pressure the quarterback, and here comes a Tennessee offense that has allowed just four sacks in eight games this season. The un-suspended and largely unproductive Tommie Harris got credited for a sack on the Lions' second series, but any lineman with a sniff of pride gives back that one. Lions quarterback Dan Orlovsky flat slipped and fell at about the same time as Harris. Orlovsky just happened to fall where Harris fell, so Harris touched him. That's not a sack. It's more like a Baggie.

Here's the problem with the Bears' lame act about the lame quarterback: If Kyle Orton were to hobble into the start Sunday, then the Bears would be making a choice that an injured guy is better than Grossman. But with Orton destined to get hurt again in such a situation, the Bears would now have to rely on the short kid after treating him worse than the fans do, and how do you think that will work out? Then again, that would fit with the way the Bears handle quarterbacks overall.

Bears cornerbacks, nickel backs and dime backs seemed to be playing about 25 yards off receivers for most of this season, and that was with Mike Brown healthy. Now that the safety is hurt again -- though, remarkably, not for the season -- the Bears' secondary is expected to back up to the Field Museum.

Here's another way the Bears can beat the unbeaten Titans: Devin Hester. Despite the way the brainiacs at Halas Hall have neutralized the greatest kick returner of all-time by trying to make him a receiver, Hester might have found an opponent he can kill on special teams.

In fact, Hester has a chance to be the hero for the first time this year because the Titans rank only 25th in punt coverage and a mind-bogglingly bad 31st in kickoff coverage. Hester needs to hold on to the ball.

The Bears brainiacs need to consign him solely to kick and punt returns so they can make him a weapon again. Scrap the wideout stuff until next off-season.

Opponents aren't afraid to kick to Hester. In fact, they seem to relish it and it's Hester who looks afraid.

Fix this.


http://blogs.chicagosports.chicagotribu ... ption.html
9 PLAYOFF APPEARANCES IN THE PAST 35 SEASONS

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