Morry Gash, Left, And Gene J. Pu / AP

Chicago Bears quarterback Rex Grossman, left, and Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning couldn't be much more different.

Hutchinson and Orton were starters largely because Grossman, a first-round draft pick in 2003, kept getting hurt — entering this season, he started just nine games in three years.

So realistically, this was his first full season, normally not something you can use to judge a quarterback’s career. Manning has started every game in the nine seasons he has played, missing only one play because of injury; he threw 28 interceptions as a rookie in 1998.

He also has classic bloodlines: his father, Archie, played 15 seasons, most of them for terrible New Orleans teams. Both Peyton and his brother, Eli, were the first overall picks in the NFL draft. In fact, Eli, who has had an up-and-down three seasons with the New York Giants, suffers, as Grossman does, from comparisons with Peyton.

Grossman has a pedigree, too. His grandfather played briefly in the All-American Football Conference in the 1940s for the Baltimore Colts, who became the Indianapolis Colts in 1984. His father, uncle and cousin played at Indiana University and his parents have been Colts season ticket holders since the team moved to Indiana.

Manning went out of his way Tuesday to defend his counterpart.

“If you’re a quarterback who’s taken a team to a Super Bowl, you’ve done a good job,” he said.

But that won’t change the opinion of critics who’ve already made up their mind about Grossman and agree with the tabloid headline that called him “Da Worst” quarterback to take a team to the Super Bowl.

Sorry, but that distinction probably belongs to David Woodley, who started for the 1983 Miami Dolphins against Washington and gave way the next season to Dan Marino. Or to journeyman Trent Dilfer, who actually won a Super Bowl in 2001 for Baltimore. Or even to Jeff Hostetler, who took over for the Giants in 1990 when Phil Simms was hurt and led the team to a win over Buffalo.

Grossman possesses the most important thing — the confidence of a coach who has declined to bench him even after horrible games.

So when Smith was asked why he has stayed with his quarterback, he shot back at the questioner:

“Probably the same reason your boss has stuck with you when you’ve made mistakes. He has faith in you. I have faith in Rex.”