I think its a good chance to take, considering in 2 games hes only had 27 completions... some other stats...
? The Packers have intercepted two or more passes in nine of their past 19 contests.
Stewart's job on line vs. Packers
September 28, 2003
BY BRAD BIGGS Staff Reporter Advertisement
After the rookies completed their work Thursday behind Halas Hall, Bears quarterback Kordell Stewart was still at it, throwing passes against a simulated blitz.
Time and time again, he hit Marty Booker and Ahmad Merritt as quarterbacks coach Greg Olson and receivers coach Todd Haley came with their arms up. If Stewart can hook up with one of the receivers on third down with Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila and Marcus Wilkins bearing down on him Monday, progress will be made.
It is no secret that this is a make-or-break game against the Green Bay Packers -- for the Bears and for Stewart. Either he gets the offense rolling or 16-year veteran Chris Chandler will get the opportunity to do so.
"That's every week, not just Monday,'' Stewart said about fighting to keep his job, something that became a draining ritual for him with the Pittsburgh Steelers, who replaced him in 1999, 2000 and last season. "I'm not concerned about how well or if I'm going to do this, that and the other because that's pressure.
"I'm not going to go out and approach this game any differently. If my best isn't good enough, things obviously are going to happen. The majority of the time when my best is put forth, we come away with a 'W.'''
The Bears already have talked about yanking Stewart, although all they will say publicly is that any player is in jeopardy if he is not performing. Chandler is quietly waiting for an opportunity.
"I think anybody that's been in this or any offense for one, two, three, four, five years, every year you feel better,'' he said. "I got a chance at the end [last season] to start a few games in a row, and I felt really good there. I got a lot of time in practice.''
Quite simply, for Stewart to stay on the job, he has to keep the offense on the field. The Bears are last in the league with 18 first downs, a nice total for three quarters when an offense is clicking. While the team has been woeful on first down, averaging a meager 3.22 yards, the third-down production under Stewart has been worse.
He has converted only 4 of 22 third downs, and each time he moved the chains it was by running. When passing on third down, he is 4-for-13 for 35 yards with one interception and zero first downs. He also has been sacked four times, so it stands to reason he was throwing under pressure after practice. The offense has netted 51 yards on the 22 third downs and is 1-for-14 when needing six yards or more.
On third-and-three in the third quarter against the Minnesota Vikings, a completion to Booker went for only two yards. Booker was on a pick route and had rubbed off Corey Chavous, but the throw was high and he had to break stride, allowing Chavous to tackle him after only two yards. It was an example of Stewart's inaccuracy even on completions. Had the ball been delivered on Booker's front shoulder pad, he was running to daylight. Then on third-and-three in the fourth quarter, when the Bears trailed only 17-13, David Terrell dropped a pass.
"That's not good,'' Booker said when he was confronted with the third-down numbers.
"I kind of figured it,'' fellow receiver Dez White said when he was told Stewart ran for the only converted third downs. "It doesn't surprise me.''
A case can be made on Stewart's behalf that the offense hasn't been shaped to fit his skills. He can't run a system built for Jim Miller, just as Miller can't run a system customized for Stewart. Yes, some designed runs have been added, but like all mobile quarterbacks, he is most dangerous on his feet when he improvises. The Vikings and San Francisco 49ers didn't shadow Stewart with a linebacker as much as offensive coordinator John Shoop expected, and Stewart has gained only 46 yards on 12 carries. He rushed for 537 yards in 2001.
"We're going to get more from his feet than we have, and I think part of it is we've got to get him playing with the lead,'' Shoop said. "Then I think you will see a lot more of that where guys are spying on him because of his ability to run. We need to stay on the field.''
To that end, the coaching staff wants Stewart to be more willing to tuck the ball and run if his first reads are not there. But the game plan has been simplified two weeks in a row, and eventually you reach the junior-high level of checking your first receiver and taking off if he's not there.
"More than anything else, we're hoping again that Kordell will just be more comfortable this week,'' Olson said. "You don't want him to play conservatively. He may have played a hair conservatively against Minnesota, but it's better to be that way than the way he was the week before -- careless with the football. If he is more conscious of tucking it and running it as opposed to getting to two and three in the progression, that's what we're kind of encouraging.''
The excuse that more time is needed for chemistry to develop no longer flies. Jake Plummer, the Bears' first free-agent choice, is 3-0 with the Denver Broncos. Jeff Blake, who also visited Halas Hall and would have adapted to Shoop's system more easily, engineered an upset of the Packers last week for the Arizona Cardinals.
"I hope so,'' Stewart said when he was asked whether he was expecting to win in his third game, as Blake did. "I would hope it would swing my way that way.''
If not, it is liable to be a moment of truth for everyone -- from Stewart to the coaches to general manager Jerry Angelo.
THIRD-AND-OUT The biggest problem with the Bears'
offense has been its inability to sustain drives of any length, mainly because of atrocious production on third down. The team is last in the league with 18 first downs and 30th with a conversion percentage of 21.7. Kordell Stewart is 4-for-22 converting third downs, and the offense has netted 51 yards on those plays. Here's a breakdown of the offense on third down with Stewart passing or running:
Passing plays: 4-for-13, 35 yards, one
interception, four sacks, one fumble lost,
no first downs.
Rushing: Five carries by Stewart for 43 yards, four first downs.
3rd-and-5 or less yards to go: 3-for-8.
3rd-and-6 to 10 yards to go: 0-for-5.
3rd-and-11-plus yards to go: 1-for-9.
TWO DOWN
Here's a look at Kordell Stewart's numbers from the first two games, with quarterback rating and times sacked:
Com. Att. Yds. TD Int. Rat. Sac.
@SF 14 34 95 1 3 21.9 5
@Min 13 21 137 1 0 96.7 3
