Demoted Hanie says he’ll try to fix the mistakes
So, where does quarterback Caleb Hanie go from here?
“Just keep working every day; keep grinding,” Hanie said Wednesday, after his demotion in favor of Josh McCown.
“That’s all you can do. Just try to fix all the mistakes that you make and learn from them. I’m obviously disappointed. You don’t want to play bad ever or lose games, so it is what it is at this point. Just got to roll with it.”
In four starts, Hanie and the Bears were 0-4. He completed 50 percent of his 102 passes and threw 9 interceptions and 3 TD passes for a 41.8 passer rating.
Hanie said he wasn’t a big fan of the philosophy that players can learn from watching after they’re benched.
“Sometimes it’s good I guess,” he said. “Just on a situational basis.”
Coach Lovie Smith doesn’t know exactly what to expect from McCown, but he said it was time for a switch, as the Bears prepare for Sunday’s matchup with the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field.
“Sometimes if you don’t like what you have, you have to look at your other options,” Smith said. “We just have to have faith that we can play better, that we can do some things to help him out a little bit more, (that) people around him can play a little bit better.
“We’re going up there with the intent to win the football game, and for us to do that, our quarterback position has to play better.”
Catching on:When he was in Mike Martz#146;s offense with the Detroit Lions in 2006, Josh McCown didn#146;t throw a single pass, but he caught 2 for 15 yards as an emergency receiver.The Bears are thin at wide receiver with Johnny Knox on injured reserve, Devin Hester battling a sprained ankle and Sam Hurd fighting the law.But don#146;t look for McCown to be catching any passes.#147;I haven#146;t pulled off the throwing it and catching it yet,#148; he said. #147;If that#146;s where the team needed me, then absolutely, I#146;d go out there in a heartbeat.#147;Some of the funnest football I played was that year in Detroit, playing receiver and getting a different perspective on their world out there. I would do anything to help our team.#148;Pressure situation:Nickel back D.J. Moore says in some ways the Packers#146; Aaron Rodgers is just like any other quarterback.#147;If you have pressure on them, he#146;s going to struggle as a quarterback,#148; Moore said. #147;If he has a lot of time, or buys more time, he#146;s going to be great.#148;For most of the season, Rodgers has been much better than great.His passer rating of 120.1 would be the highest for a single season in NFL history, and he has 40 TD passes and just 6 interceptions.Injury report:Eight Bears did not practice Wednesday, including running backs Matt Forte (knee) and Marion Barber (calf), linebacker Lance Briggs (ankle), quarterback Jay Cutler (right thumb), tight end Kellen Davis (back), wide receiver Devin Hester (ankle), defensive tackle Henry Melton (shin), and defensive end Julius Peppers (noninjury related).For Green Bay, OT Bryan Bulaga (Marian Central Catholic H.S. in Woodstock) and WR Greg Jennings are out with knee injuries. Defensive end Ryan Pickett (concussion) did not practice.Offensive tackle Chad Clifton (hamstring/back) and linebacker Desmond Bishop (calf), both starters, were limited. Personnel move:Wide receiver Kevin Jurovich was signed to the practice squad.The 6-foot, 199-pounder entered the NFL last season as an undrafted free agent with the Philadelphia Eagles out of San Jose State, but he spent the regular season on the San Francisco 49ers#146; practice squad.FBN33892353FILE - In this Dec. 4, 2011, file photo, Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Hanie (12) throws a pass against the Kansas City Chiefs during an NFL football game in Chicago. If the Bears want to win on Sunday, Dec. 18 against the Seattle Seahawks and keep its slim playoff chances alive, Hanie needs to step up. He was better against the Broncos on Dec. 11, but not nearly good enough as the offense struggled for consistency in the third straight game since Jay Cutler was forced out with a broken thumb. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh, File) FBN