Put-up or shut-up time for Bears

The intensity of the Bears' quarterback controversy gets turned up a notch tonight in the preseason opener at Soldier Field against the Chiefs, with Kyle Orton starting, Rex Grossman relieving and both scheduled to get equal playing time with the first team - which should be on the field until halftime.

Some players are already growing weary of the uncertainty at quarterback spot and are hoping for a decision, whichever way it goes, to be made soon. Coach Lovie Smith would rather not have to deal with the daily questions for any longer than he has to, but he realizes the battle could drag on through the third preseason game.

"We'd like to get it done as soon as possible," Smith said, "but we have to let it play out, and I'm anxious to see Round One."

Offensive coordinator Ron Turner will be watching the Orton and Grossman more closely than anyone, and he'll be looking for consistency in general but also for specifics.

"Running the offense, making good decisions, getting rid of the ball quickly, being accurate, all the things a quarterback needs to do" Turner said. "Managing the game, making the big plays when they're there, taking advantage of opportunities, just playing good, solid, consistent football."

Evaluating the quarterback play could be complicated by the Bears' problems along the offensive line. Rookie left tackle Chris Williams will not play because of a back injury that has sidelined him since July 24, and left guard Terrence Metcalf will be unavailable after having arthroscopic knee surgery Tuesday morning.

Both quarterbacks will also be throwing to a wide variety of targets, since the Bears list a total of four starters at the two wide receiver positions: Rashied Davis, Devin Hester, Marty Booker and Brandon Lloyd.

"It's not that much (of a problem) because we know if (the quarterbacks) are making the right reads and if they're throwing the ball where they're supposed to," Turner said. "The ball may be thrown and people in the stands may see it hit the ground or go over a guy's head, and say it was a terrible pass. But the receiver may not have been where he's supposed to be.

"It's (actually) good because you get a chance to see who's going to maintain their composure and not get frustrated if there is a breakdown, not get frustrated if somebody has a mental error or whatever, and just (say) 'Hey, I'm going to stay focused. I'm going to do my job.'"

Besides the quarterbacks, the Bears' 21 rookies will get a close look, not only from coaches but from veterans. Safety Mike Brown remembers his rookie season of 2000, and he said it won't be easy for the new guys.

"The rookie year is always the toughest because you're dealing not only with football being new, but you're in a new place, and you've got all these different things that are coming at you from different directions," Brown said. "The first (game) is tough for rookies because they're going to be asked to do a lot. They not only play (offense or) defense, but they're probably going to be on all the special teams. "It's probably going to be the most tired they've ever been in their life. Every rookie has gone through it. We've told them to be prepared to play a lot."

With two weeks of training camp under their belts, some rookies have grabbed a lot of attention by their play in practice. Others have barely been noticed. Either way, those first impressions can be erased or enhanced tonight.

"This is when you find out who rises to the occasion when the lights are on and who goes into hiding," Brown said. "It happens every year. Some guys are great in practice, but for some reason, when it's game time, they don't perform. And some people are the opposite. They don't perform in practice, but when it's game time they perform. If you ask anyone, they want the gamers. So this is an opportunity to see who's a gamer and who's not."

<div class="infoBox"> <h1>More Coverage</h1> <div class="infoBoxContent"> <div class="infoArea"> <h2>Stories</h2> <ul class="links"> <li><a href="/story/?id=226198">Rookie safety Steltz impresses veterans <span class="date">[8/7/08]</span></a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div>