NEWS: Ground Game to Help Grossman

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By NICK HUT - nhut@nwnewsgroup.com


If Rex Grossman indeed is the Bears' starting quarterback Sunday against the Tennessee Titans, he will have an advantage he never had last season.

He will have a viable running game behind him.

With Matt Forte carrying the ball instead of Cedric Benson, and with a retooled offensive line, the Bears could hope to take pressure off Grossman in ways they rarely did last season.

If the Titans go all-out to stop the running game, Grossman would have an easier time making something happen through the air.

"It's just a matter of getting some first downs, getting in rhythm and getting things going," Bears offensive coordinator Ron Turner said.

That formula was prevalent in 2006, Grossman's best season, when the combination of Thomas Jones and Benson formed the Bears' best running game since Neal Anderson's heyday in the late 1980s.

Last season, with Jones having been traded to the New York Jets, Benson sputtered as the primary running back. The offensive line played like an old, decrepit group.

Forte has provided a spark as a rookie. The line, after jettisoning

Ruben Brown and relegating Fred Miller to special teams, has been invigorated. When Grossman started the second half after Kyle Orton went out because of an ankle injury Sunday against Detroit, then, he did not have to worry about throwing for a lot of yards or making big plays.

Forte gained 101 rushing yards in the second half, and the Bears controlled the clock while gaining ample yardage in their victory.

"Offensively, we say we're a running team; we get off the bus running the football," coach Lovie Smith said. "In the end, that's what was able to help us win the football game."

Having Forte to anchor the offense allows the Bears to have expectations of being competitive even if Grossman cannot match Orton's passing output.

"Everybody's just got to keep doing their job and just have Rex come in and do his job," tight end Desmond Clark said. "I don't think anyone's going to have to do anything extra to compensate for anything. It should just be business as usual."

Then again, the Titans (8-0) will make life tougher all around for the Bears' offense. Tennessee ranks 10th against the run, allowing 91.6 yards a game. Detroit went into last weekend's game ranked 31st, yielding 162.9 yards a contest.

If Forte is bottled up, Grossman will have to make something happen for his team.

Grossman will make his first start since Dec. 6 unless Orton recovers faster than expected from his right ankle injury.

The Bears can wait until later in the week to make a final determination, but they will want to give Grossman all of the practice repetitions today and Thursday unless they are sure Orton will be OK.

[DaDitka]

The Bears can wait until later in the week to make a final determination, but they will want to give Grossman all of the practice repetitions today and Thursday unless they are sure Orton will be OK.

They are even considering it?

Glad to hear they aren't too concerned, but at least hold him out until we get back into divisional games (at the VERY least)