Apparently a salivating Bears defense awaits the return of Brian Griese. Chicagoans are happy Garcia's on the bench, says a Chicago Tribune columnist..

Here’s a good indication of how Tampa Bay’s sports media is a bunch of softball tossers: It takes a Chicago Tribune colunmist to fire the hardest the shots at Chucky for benching Garcia and starting Griese, especially vs. the Bears.

Among the hard hits:

Brown and his defensive teammates wisely avoided giving Tampa Bay players anything to pin on their bulletin board. But you didn’t have to hear the Bears say what any reasonably aware NFL observer can see.

Griese, though efficient, represents the type of stationary quarterback the Bears defense loves to attack. Garcia, as last season reminded the league, possesses mobility that keeps plays alive against pass rushes as fierce as that of the Bears.

Even Griese noted how much more varied and aggressive the Bears defense has looked this season, a factor Gruden apparently ignored when picking the statue over the scrambler.

“The way they’re playing defense right now doesn’t resemble quite what they played last year or the past two years for that matter,” Griese said during a conference call with Chicago media.

Joe can’t ever root for the Bucs to lose. But he’s really hoping Griese performs so poorly Gruden is forced to back to Garcia. For the good of this team. And for a shot to play in a Super Bowl at home in 2009.