FIRST QUARTER NOWORK OF ART
Experts weigh in on Glennon, Trubisky, disappointments, challenges ahead
The good news is, the Bears didn’t lose Sunday. They did, however, continue their soul- searching after their blowout loss Thursday to the Packers, a 1- 3 start to the season and a quarterbacking disaster that seems to have reached critical mass.
The Sun- Times’ Bears experts — Adam L. Jahns, Patrick Finley and Mark Potash— break down the first quarter of the season:
The Bears’ quarterback situation hasn’t worked because ...
Jahns: Mike Glennon hasn’t worked out. It’s that simple. He has created the untenable situation by committing eight turnovers. Sure, losing receivers Cam Meredith and Kevin White didn’t help his cause. The Bears’ offense had to change abruptly. But his physical limitations and slow decision- making are obvious. He’s limiting the offense.
Finley: Glennon has turned the ball over early and often. In the Bears’ last two losses, they had six drives that started in the first quarter. Glennon has fumbled three times and thrown one interception during that span; the Bears have punted the other two times. No team’s offense is built to play catch- up. Running back Jordan Howard, who should be the centerpiece of the attack, has suffered as a result.
Potash: General manager Ryan Pace and the Bears’ personnel department made a gross misjudgment about what kind of quarterback Glennon is. Even with Meredith and White, the Bears needed a quarterback who could buy a little time for plays to develop. Except for accuracy, Glennon has shown none of the skills Pace touted when Glennon signed.
Has MikeG lennon gotten a fair shake?
Jahns: Absolutely. He was given an entire camp, three preseason starts and four full regular- season games to establish himself as the Bears’ starter. One could argue that a fair competition is what Glennon really needed. Glennon was named the unquestioned starter, but he played his best when Mitch Trubisky got firstteam snaps in the preseason game against the Titans.
Finley: Yes. It’s easy to feel bad for Glennon. He started the year with the worst receiving corps in the NFL and is two dropped passes in the end zone away from being 2- 2. But his turnovers are inexcusable and generally have not been the fault of his receivers, no matter what the Bears’ coaches say.
Potash: Yes. In fact, he got a better shake than he deserved. He should have been in an open competition for the starting job in training camp and instead was handed a job he didn’t earn. The supporting cast is questionable, but he knew that going in. It was on him to be good early.
Is Mitch Trubisky ready? Does it matter?
Jahns: Really, there’s no way of telling if Trubisky is ready until he plays in a real game. Practice is practice. His success surely will fluctuate from week to week. He’s a rookie. Ups and downs should be expected. At least when Trubisky is making mistakes, they’re beingmade while he gains experience.
Finley: He’s close enough. If he weren’t, Mark Sanchez would be the second- string quarterback. The rookie’s readiness certainly matters. The Bears were so sensitive about not rushing Trubisky that they originally developed a plan to sit him for most, if not all, of the season. They know the value of not damaging Trubisky for the long term.
Potash: It does matter, but early indications are that Trubisky is ready to learn from his mistakes rather then be destroyed by them. If Trubisky provides even a modicum of hope, he has a chance to make his teammates better— on offense and defense. It probably won’t be pretty early, but Trubisky will give the Bears a much better chance of being good eventually.
The most disturbing part of the Bears’ start is ...
Jahns: How they’re losing. All of it is too reminiscent of the previous two seasons: turnovers on offense, breakdowns in the secondary, an endless amount of serious injuries and ineffective quarterback play. The Bears are beating themselves again and again.
Finley: The scores. Coach John Fox’s Bears teams had lost six games by 20 or more points entering this season, then did it twice in the last three games.
Potash: For the third consecutive season, Fox’s players- pal coaching doesn’t seem to be resonating with his players. It’s no longer the roster issue it was when he arrived. He’s just not getting as much out of what he has as he used to.
Their biggest challenge will be ...
Jahns: It depends. If Trubisky takes over, the expectations for the entire team will be different. The offense will be different, and that means the challenges for him and the team will be different. Let’s get to that point first.
Finley: Winning games. The next team on the Bears’ schedule with a losing record is the 49ers on Dec. 3.
Potash: Keeping players healthy. The Bears already have eight players on injured reserve, including four starters.