Passing along credit

On Monday, Bears quarterback Brian Griese clarified the notion that he was the sole mastermind of the Bears' game-winning, season-saving, 97-yard touchdown drive as time ran out.

The confusion came about because Griese, in his postgame comments Sunday, said:

"The last play of the game (a 15-yard TD pass to Muhsin Muhammad), we had a clock stoppage, and I knew the headset was out, so I ran over to the sideline and got the last play (from offensive coordinator Ron Turner, via quarterbacks coach Pep Hamilton on the sideline), but the remainder of the plays were ones that I called."

Ummmmm, not exactly … as Griese took pains to point out Monday afternoon.

"I did not call all the plays in that drive," he said. "I did call some. It was a complete effort, obviously, from our coaching staff calling those 2 big plays, and those guys deserve the credit.

"The call to Bernard (Berrian) on third-and-3 (a 25-yard completion to the Eagles' 36-yard line) with the max protection and getting Bernard down the middle of the field was a great call, as was the play to Devin Hester (a 21-yard pass to the Philly 15), and the last play for the touchdown."

Overstating his role in the final drive doesn't take away from Griese's impressive performance as the trigger man (7-of-11 passing for 97 yards), but there obviously was some negative feedback Monday at Halas Hall.

Much of it was the result of knee-jerk reaction from callers to sports-talk radio shows vilifying Turner and suggesting the Bears would be better off letting Griese call his own plays all the time.

Not helping the cause was that Griese also intimated Sunday that he'd be agreeable to calling his own plays.

As a result of the fallout, Griese made an unprecedented request to address the media prior to Lovie Smith's regularly scheduled 3 p.m. news conference.

"I think that it's gotten a little out of control," Griese said. "From what I read from you guys … and I wanted you guys to understand what really happened, and I didn't feel that that was being portrayed.

"If that's my miscommunication, I take responsibility for that. But it was a complete (team) effort."

Griese taking a little too much credit Sunday night isn't like Al Gore taking credit for inventing the Internet, but it did diminish the efforts of Turner and the offensive staff.

If you're keeping track at home, Turner called the first 2 plays in the drive; Griese the next 4, including one that was negated by offsetting penalties; and Turner the final 4. There also were two spiked passes in the 11-play drive.

"There were 3 or 4 plays -- moving-clock plays -- early in that drive where I had to call plays at the line of scrimmage," Griese explained. "But after those plays we got to about midfield, and I could see Pep Hamilton on the sideline and could read his lips for 3 big plays there.

"One, the flat to Desmond (Clark for 7 yards), the pass downfield (on the next play) to Bernard Berrian, and then the pass to Devin Hester. I read Pep's lips on the sideline, called those plays in the huddle, and ran those plays."

Bottom line, Griese's play has jump-started the Bears' offense, which has averaged 26 points in his four starts.

In his last three starts, Griese has completed 68 of 111 passes (61.3 percent) for 917 yards, 6 touchdowns, 3 interceptions and recorded passer ratings of 97.8, 89.2 and 97.8.

"In the last three weeks we've definitely taken steps" coach Lovie Smith said. "We've spread the ball around quite a bit, and we've gotten most of the guys involved in the offense, which is big."

And now, after Monday's clarification, now they've also spread the credit around.