BEARS 38, Giants 20: A Playoff-Quality Win

Is it just me, or did Eli Manning look like the quarterback the Giants were hoping Rex Grossman would be?

Now, those of you who know me, know that I’m neutral at best on the subject of Rex Grossman. Heck, I’m the instigator who dreamt up the Brian Griese pool, with people betting on when No. 14 would supplant Rex as the starter. Still, fair is fair, and Grossman had a line worthy of respect: 18 for 30 for 246 yards, with three touchdowns and one interception.

It’s not his best line ever, and he certainly started out shaky, missing four of his first five passes and throwing an interception that led to a 1-yard touchdown and a 7-0 Giants lead, most of which he did while throwing off his back foot. Then again, he also led a key 74-yard touchdown drive late in the first half despite being beset by false start penalties. Grossman was 5 for 7 for 65 yards on the drive, hitting Mark Bradley – a guy me and my buddies at the bar had never heard of – for the TD.

This mattered because it brought the BEARS within three at halftime, and showed that the BEARS offense could fight back after being shut down by the Giants’ D for most of the first half. And this came in a game that was worth more than a game: With the win, the BEARS hold a two-game lead for home field advantage through the playoffs, with head-to-head wins against two of the three teams tied for second. Had they lost, it would have been a two-way tie with the Giants, and the Giants would have held the tiebreaker.

Bottom line is, Grossman’s stats, coming on the road against a playoff-caliber team, justify the front office’s love for him. It’s why I have to give him my player of the game honors.

Manning, on the other hand, spent most of his day being battered by BEARS defenders and looking dejected afterward. He turned the ball over three times, twice on interceptions and once on a fumble (something BEARS fans have gotten a little too used to seeing Grossman do lately). He looked impressive on the Giants’ third-quarter drive that cut the lead to 24-20, but rarely outside of that drive.

To their credit, the BEARS answered that score in what is becoming the new typical BEARS fashion. All season long, this team has excelled at taking a small lead and very quickly turning it into a commanding lead with opportunistic plays. (Just ask the Seahawks, Bills and 49ers if you don’t believe me.) Usually, this takes the form of takeaways, with long returns or a long pass on the first play from scrimmage to set up quick touchdown drives. Against the Giants, however, it was something a little different – Devin Hester’s 108-yard return of a 52-yard field goal attempt that fell short.

Watching the game live, I noticed Hester hesitate before running the ball out. I assumed he was waiting to see if he would get a wall, and would have taken a knee otherwise. I read this morning, however, that the Giants were already walking off the field after the miss, and he was simply giving them a couple extra steps toward the sideline before taking off the other way. I’d love to hear what Giants Nation’s reaction to that one was – can’t imagine such a mental mistake would play well in NYC!

The BEARS answered a lot of questions on Sunday night against the Giants, and they showed they will have to be reckoned with in the playoffs. Given the lead they have over the rest of the conference and how well they typically play at home, this team is rightfully the favorite to represent the NFC on Feb. 4.