Voices are not likely to be raised to keep Erik Kramer as the Bears’ quarterback, not by the Bears, not by the fans, not by Kramer’s teammates, alas. Not by many but Kramer himself, who has choices.
Kramer fumbled with a postgame snack, trying to remove the wrapper with his single working hand, the other pinned to his body because of a sprained left shoulder. He finally tore the paper with his teeth, a perfect illustration of the Bears’ season, trying to get the job done with one hand tied, in this case, at the front.
“Typical,” said Kramer, who is, by the numbers at least, the best quarterback the Bears have ever had. “I get hurt. A couple other guys get hurt. We get crushed by Tampa Bay.”
Crushed by Tampa? Worse. Pitied by Tampa. The Bucs so discount the Bears, they take a knee, two knees, to close the game at the 10-yard line. Tampa can’t even muster enough spite to rub it in.
The Bears are not only harmless, but not worth the bother. You know, just like Tampa used to be.
“I wouldn’t say Tampa Bay is better than us,” said Dave Wannstedt. “Are they more talented? I don’t think so. We’ve got some good players too.”
A score of 31-15, a score that could have been worse, would seem to answer his question, but grant Wannstedt his conviction and it comes down to coaching, and Wannstedt is a coach who is apparently as safe in the hands of Michael McCaskey as loose change.
Kramer is, at least, a realist, not indulging denial, even when it would be in his best interests. He wants to continue to be the Bears’ quarterback. But, as a free agent, he can walk.
“I don’t want to be on an average team,” Kramer said.
Call the Bears average and the Bears should blush.
“We didn’t look like a very good team, because we are not a very good team,” Kramer said.
The Bears would like another quarterback, a present and future quarterback, neither of which Kramer is. His age, his record, his habit of throwing at least one bad interception a game, all of this works against Kramer.
Kramer can be blamed for botching up the Rick Mirer agenda, being so clearly superior to Mirer that the Bears had to play Kramer, but not being good enough to overcome all the other things the Bears are not, good tacklers, good blockers, good runners, good defenders, good receivers.
The Bears are not quick, not smart, not deep, not ready. And whatever is being done next to fix all of this, quarterback is not the place to start.
“Under the right conditions, with the right system, with the right coaching, with the right players, I think I’m a pretty damn good quarterback,” Kramer said.
That’s a lot of fixing to do and the coaching part is pretty much settled. Would Kramer come back having to compete for this job again?
“It depends on the options I have,” Kramer said. “If there is another starting job out there, I won’t be back.”
Would he, say, stay on as the senior quarterback while a Peyton Manning or Ryan Leaf was developing?
“I could do that,” Kramer said.
As in almost every final season game of his career, Kramer is in a familiar place, up in the air.
“The Bears have options too,” Kramer said. “They can trade or move up in the draft. Maybe they don’t think I’m the answer. I’ll have to see what the plans are for me.
“I have a list of things I think should be done. Call it a Christmas list. I’m not telling what it is because it wouldn’t be a surprise, would it?”
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Coy and ready to walk. Kramer doesn’t need sympathy.
“I’ve had to deal with not having a very good hand all year,” Kramer said, “but it was the hand I was dealt. I think I played it pretty well. I would love to have had four aces, but I didn’t. But I stayed in the game with what I had.”
All of this is true and Kramer should not have to be the one saying it.
The Mirer mistake should be proof enough of how hard it is to find a decent quarterback. If the Bears are starting over, they should be starting over with a different coach.
If the Bears are mending on the move, as it looks like they are, playing to win soon and not eventually, then keeping the same, competent quarterback makes at least as much sense as keeping the same, competent coach.
And losing the last game of the season is not the worst thing that could have happened.
“I hope there is no misconception,” Kramer said. “If we win, then we have won four of five. That would have told people we are better than we are.”
This guy is not part of the problem. This guy is part of the solution.