Hardball Heaven

Imagine how good the Bears would be if they had Tom Brady calling the signals? Fortunately for us, they don't. They've got Rex Grossman - aka Train Rex as the Chicago Tribune called him on Monday - and they may become the first clear-cut conference leader to change QB's on the fly in like, a really, really long time. I mean, the Bears are 9-2 and they're calling for Grossman's head. Could we see a Romo/Cutler deal in the Windy City? Brian Griese is the alternative, so it may be awhile.

Bears fans are screaming bloody murder because while their team definitely played well enough to win on Sunday - Thomas Jones and Cedric Benson are an underrated RB tandem and their defense came as advertised - their QB is just killing them. He threw three picks, all to Pats CB Asante Samuel, including the game-ending heave he tossed just after the Bears recovered a huge Corey Dillon fumble will 1:30 to go in the game. Has anyone seen Rex and Eli Manning in the same room together?

To be fair to Rexy, the game itself was filled with turnovers. As a buddy noted Monday morning, it was an alternately fun, frustrating, positively bizarre football game. I mean, Tom Brady - never to be confused with Mike "Two Fingers" Vick as a runner - made the big play of the game, scrambling for a first down late in the game and juking Brian Urlacher badly in the process.

Looking ahead, you have to think that the Bears, Cowboys, or Seahawks (who got Hasselbeck and Alexander back this week) will represent the NFC in Miami come February. The AFC, on the other hand, is wide open with the Colts, Ravens, Chargers and Pats near the head of the class, and the Chiefs and Broncos looming as possibilities. Could we see a 20th anniversary rematch of the Bears and Pats, hopefully with a much different outcome? If Rexy's still the pilot, count on it.