Two of a kind
If anyone can sympathize with the Bears' Rex Grossman and the Giants' Eli Manning, it's Rex Grossman and Eli Manning.
Each can appreciate what the other has gone through, playing inconsistently at quarterback in the fishbowl of a major market, taking potshots in the media and getting booed by the home fans.
"I (barely) have enough time on my hands to worry about what I'm going through," Grossman said when asked if he could relate to the beating Manning takes in New York. "But, yeah, I feel like he's definitely in a tough market. New York is, from what I hear, pretty critical, and people are (as) passionate about the Giants as they are about the Bears.
"The quarterback is usually the first place people look. I understand that criticism, and I've been through it and (I'm) going through it now. From a quarterback's perspective, you just try to block it out and play the best you can."
Manning sounds a lot like Grossman when he discusses dealing with the abundant criticism that comes with the position.
"That's part of losing a game in the NFL and losing badly and playing a poor game," the Giants quarterback said. "You see (the criticism) out there, but you can't do anything about it. The only way to fix it is to go out there and play better football."
Like most young quarterbacks -- Grossman is 27, Manning will be in a month -- they have battled inconsistency and are still prone to turning the ball over in bunches. Grossman was benched after throwing 6 interceptions and just 1 TD pass in the first three games. Manning was picked off four times last week, 3 of which were returned for touchdowns.
Manning even had to defend himself this week from Giants general manager Jerry Reese, who called the quarterback's performance last week, "skittish."
"I don't know what that means exactly, and I am not too concerned with it," Manning said. "I thought I was strong in the pocket, having to move around a lot and try to make some plays, and I hit some big plays down the field. We just had some bad plays also."
Today's outcome could hinge on which quarterback makes the fewest mistakes.
Both have shown that, in addition to a susceptibility to mistakes, they have the ability to put points on the board in a hurry, which is why they still have starting jobs. Last year Grossman's 20 interceptions were the third most in the league, and Manning wasn't far behind with 18. But Manning's 24 TD passes in 2006 were second best in the NFC, and Grossman was next with 23.
Neither quarterback has benefited from outstanding protection from his offensive line.
The Bears have already lost left guard Ruben Brown for the season and are expected to start John St. Clair at right tackle for the injured Fred Miller. While the Bears' offensive line has been shaky all season, the Giants' front wall has only recently sprung leaks in pass protection.
Any weaknesses up front on either side will be exploited, since the Giants are No. 1 in the NFL in sack percentage, and the Bears are No. 3. According to Grossman, quarterbacks just have to believe the guys up front will take care of business, even when they appear, on paper, to be overmatched.
"You have to trust the offensive linemen, that they're going to get the job done," Grossman said. "And you just have to do a little bit better job of keeping two hands on the ball and protecting the ball in the pocket and just let the game play out how it plays out."