“That’s not enough to get deep in your game plan,” said Grossman, who shouldered his share of the blame and expressed his own confidence in the future.

“It’s very disappointing,” he said. “We know we’re a great team. We did a bad job of executing and making plays. I don’t have any excuses. This is really a great team and we are going to have a great team next year. I feel confident in my abilities to get the job done.”

“Rex is the leader of this team,” said receiver Bernard Berrian. “We’re not going to turn on him just because we lost this game. He’s not going to let anything get into his head.”

That remains to be seen. It’s hard to overcome a history of failure in big moments. But the proof that it can be done was on the other side of the field, where Peyton Manning was enjoying his first championship in his ninth year as a starter and more disappointments in big moments than he cares to count.

Grossman isn’t Manning in terms of talent, but no one is. With the Bears, who lean on their defense, he doesn’t have to be.

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The Bears had their chances, but they failed to make solid tackles, failed to hang on to the ball, failed to make the big plays that decide championships.

They knew it, too, which gave them reason to believe they can get back; it wasn’t about not being good enough to win, it was about not playing well enough.

“I don’t think there’s any reason for anyone on this football team to duck their heads — coaches included; fans included,” said defensive back Charles Tillman. “Disappointment is motivation.

“And this is more than enough disappointment for me to get back and win the Super Bowl.”