The Bears have determined the Caleb Hanie experiment -- at least for now -- is over. They are starting Josh McCown at QB this weekend against the Packers.
Why should you, dear Vikings fan, care? Well, if you are like the growing number of folks that are hoping for the highest draft pick possible, you should know the Bears play the Vikings the following weekend in the regular-season finale at Mall of America Field. And while Hanie was certifiably terrible, McCown is 1) a guy who couldn't get a roster spot at the start of the year and 2) needed a month after being signed to supplant Hanie. Per the Chicago Sun Times:
McCown, who had been coaching high school football in Charlotte, N.C. when he was signed by the Bears on Nov. 23, will start at quarterback Sunday against the Green Bay Packers in place of Caleb Hanie, who was 0-4 with a 41.8 passer rating in a disastrous stint as the Bears' starter after Jay Cutler suffered a broken thumb.
McCown, 32, was out of football since being cut by the 49ers prior to the start of the regular season. Until he replaced Hanie in a mop-up role against the Seahawks last week (1-for-2, 12 yards and an interception) he had not thrown a pass in a regular-season NFL game since the opening week of the 2009 season with Carolina. He relieved starter Jake Delhomme against the Eagles and was 1-for-6 for two yards before suffering a sprained knee.
He played in the United Football League last season. He went to training camp with the 49ers, but was cut in favor of former Fremd and Wisconsin star Scott Tolzien as the 49ers' No. 3 quarterback.
So yeah, that guy could be QBing the Bears in what many of you would term a must-lose game for the Vikings. It would be on par with the purple's luck over the past two seasons if they finally won the one game they didn't want to win.
Also, per @BenchwarmerJim on Twitter, we had completely forgotten McCown was the QB of record on the last-second pass that knocked the Vikings out of the 2003 playoffs. McCown to Nate Poole, and Paul Allen to the world's longest, "Nooooooooooooo." If McCown messes up another finale for the Vikings, look out.
