Imagine that you are standing beside a highway. You watch with amazement at how quickly the vehicles pass.

Now, imagine standing in the middle of the roadway, trying to avoid the cars as they pass. It would be terrifying, but I'm sure Chicago Bears rookie quarterback Rex Grossman had a similar feeling on Sunday as he watched his teammates lose 49-7. The 49ers blitz resembled that of oncoming cars on a highway, with little more than a battered and inexperienced offensive standing in the way of this relentless blitzing scheme.

There was Grossman, assuming the role of the shell-shocked highway onlooker, on the sideline in his first up-close look at professional, defensive domination. Grossman was armed with only a clipboard and a headset. He might as well have been penning his premature retirement speech on the clipboard and calling his surgeon on the headset, because at this rate, Grossman's time will painfully come this season.

Grossman had to feel scared watching that game. He had to feel like he has no chance if Bears head coach Dick Jauron calls his name, and well he should, because the Bears are doomed.

One of the most vital keys to the success of a football team is the play of the offensive line. The Bears of 2001 in contrast with the Bears of 2002 are perfect examples.

In 2001, James Williams and Blake Brockermeyer were the tackles, Rex Tucker and Chris Villarrial were the guards and Olin Kruetz was the center. The group stayed healthy and played the entire season as a unit. Jim Miller had time to throw the ball, Anthony Thomas rushed for over 1,000 yards and the Bears went 13-3.

Before the 2002 season, GM Jerry Angelo inexplicably let Brockermeyer walk away as a free agent. Bernard Robertson, a high-round draft pick with no experience, then became the starting left tackle. Williams was nearing the end of his career and was bothered by injuries. Tucker missed 11 games with a broken leg. Back spasms bothered Villarrial all season. Miller got mauled time and time again, Thomas had no room to run and the Bears went 4-12.

I rest my case, but the offensive line is just the beginning of the Bears' problems. Offensive coordinator John Shoop got away with his ultra-conservative play calling because the offensive line played so well in 2001, but his inefficiencies were exposed in 2002.

Shoop could no longer fall back on a solid running game in 2002 because his line didn't know how to run-block. Forced to pass, Shoop was unable to overcome constant pressure on the quarterback. The result was an offense based on passes underneath coverage.

When Shoop tried to go down the field, interceptions were imminent. Whether it was Miller or Mr. Interception himself, Henry Burris, the quarterbacks forced the issue and tried to hit flat-footed receivers 15-25 yards down the field. They failed and hit safeties pinching into coverage instead.

What happened to the shotgun and bootlegs to avoid the blitz? What happened to quick slant patterns over the middle to pick-up blitzes and drop linebackers into coverage? They were nonexistent.

Which brings us all the way back to Sunday, when the newest of Shoop's toys, Kordell Stewart, tried to force the ball down the field to standstill receivers, all while avoiding the onslaught blitzing by the 49ers. It was classic Shoop.

FOX analyst Bill Maas said it best when he noted that the Bears offensive line, which again is hampered by injuries and inexperience, was the only one in the league he has seen in recent years that had no idea how to pickup a blitz and contain it. He continued, saying that it is Shoop's responsibility to teach his line what it takes to recognize and contain a blitz.

Which brings us all the way back to Grossman, the quarterback of the future. There is going to come a time this season when the Bears are going to realize that all is lost. It will probably be sometime around 1-7 or so, and people will start to talk. They will insist that Grossman play purely for the experience, which will probably sound like a good idea.

Will it be a good idea to throw in a rookie behind a line full of inexperienced journeymen? Will it be a good idea for him to run an offense so unthoughtful and inept as Shoop's? Is it really worth the risk? I don't think it is.

However, if Grossman does play, and he probably will, his confidence will be rattled when he throws interception after interception. His back will be rattled by defensive ends. Shoop's offense will rattle his brain. It could ruin him forever. Instead of the quarterback of the future, Jauron, Shoop and company could make him the quarterback that was.