First and foremost, to the many fans who said the previous piece I wrote was too “harsh”, I don’t like the saying “I told you so”, but… well just read the short article for yourself…
Moving on.
Hope is a word which can be used in both noun and verb form. But one has to come before the other. In order to hope, a person obviously must have hope. When it comes to the Chicago Bears, the only hope left in finding any is in a toy (Mitchell Trubisky) that’s being kept in storage, because it’s owner (John Fox and Co.) is too afraid to break it. Whether Fox believes it or not, it’s Trubisky-time.
In a game that drove me to drink a few more brews than I should have on a work-night against the Tampa Bay Bucs, Glennon only showed what anyone who studies the game already knew; he is a backup quarterback. From staring down his intended receiver when the ball is snapped, to having absolutely no pocket presence, Glennon has made it obvious that his time to shine was two games too long. Why Fox chose to start Glennon after a preseason where these exact signs were glaring may never be known, it’s irrelevant at this point as the Bears are 0-2 for the third consecutive season with a tough schedule ahead of them (PIT, GB, MIN, BAL, & CAR next five games).
Now, do I believe Glennon deserves all the blame? Of course not. And any person who believes so needs to pay closer attention to the game. Football is a sport in which all 11 guys on the field have to do their job, and any one of them can cause a play to go the wrong way. In Glennon’s case, though, it’s much harder to defend when you have at least one (maybe even two?) more capable athletes to play at quarterback sitting on your bench.
Yes, the Bears have a travesty of a wide receiver core on their hands, but why does it seem that when Glennon chooses to play with some competence, they’re able to successfully move the ball down the field? That, to me, shows that the talent on the offensive side of the ball, even through the injuries, isn’t as bad as some make it seem. The Bears have two perfectly capable pass-catching tight ends that they haven’t input into any game-plan, which only handicaps a team even more when you’re lacking weapons on the outside.
I’ve also heard the argument of “well, Trubisky may not know the whole playbook”. I believe the truth to be the opposite. The Bears are currently starting a QB that is incapable of running a play-action boot because of his immobility issues, which I’m sure cuts out a lot of what Dowell Loggains wants to do offensively being that he has a formidable running game with Jordan Howard and Tarik Cohen. One of Trubisky’s biggest strengths, which he proved multiple times in the preseason, is his accuracy while on the run. This adds a dimension to the offense that will keep the defense honest to both the running game and Trubisky’s ability to make the defense pay by making a play with his feet. Mitchell’s ability to be mobile doesn’t only help with play-calling but also with receivers that can’t seem to get separation. One of the attributes I believe that is needed to play quarterback in today’s game (unless you’re Tom Brady or Peyton Manning) is the ability to make something happen when the play breaks down. Trubisky’s pocket presence will allow him to escape pressure at times, allowing receivers to do some improvisation in order to get open.
At this point, running to Glennon’s defense is almost indefensible. But for some reason, John Fox continues to do just that, as Rich Campbell of the Chicago Tribune tweets:
Bears HC John Fox made it clear to media that Mike Glennon will be the QB1 for next Sunday's game against the Steelers.
— Rich Campbell (@Rich_Campbell) September 17, 2017
In no means am I saying that the key to turning this season around and making the playoffs is starting a rookie quarterback in Week 3. But what I am saying is that I’m tired of watching veteran quarterbacks, in whom we already know what we’re getting out of them, stink it up on the field. I want to watch a quarterback that I can see make mistakes and hope that, because he is a rookie, he will learn from them and bounce back.
Mr. Fox, though I already didn’t believe you’d be the head coach in 2018 regardless, your handling of the QB situation in Chicago will be the cherry on top.
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