The Chicago Bears 2017 offense is probably one of the biggest mysteries in the NFL this year. It features an interesting mix of notable veterans and upside youngsters but at the same time is completely unproven. Sitting at the heart of it all is quarterback Mike Glennon. A former third round pick of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, he started eighteen games in his NFL career, 13 of them in 2013.
He went 4-9 that season, throwing for 2,609 yards with 19 touchdowns and nine interceptions. That extended preview along with his excellent locker room reputation was enough to convince the Bears he might be worth paying to start this season. Since then opinions have flown in all directions about whether that’s wise.
Perhaps the best way to answer that is with another question. Is this 2017 Bears offense better, as bad or worse than the unit he played with four years ago? That’s what this article will explore. It will take each position group, break it down and see which should be considered the stronger of the two. Will there be a winner?
Running Back
Buccaneers:
- Doug Martin
- Brian Leonard
- Mike James
- Jeff Demps
- Bobby Rainey
Bears:
- Jordan Howard
- Tarik Cohen
- Taquan Mizzell
- Benny Cunningham
The two teams actually share a lot in common here. Like Howard, Doug Martin was coming off a Pro Bowl rookie season. Unfortunately he made it just six games before getting hurt. In his absence the other four did little to fill the void he left behind. So the question is does the Bears’ depth of Cohen, Mizzell and Cunnigham have the capacity to do better? Based on preseason results and tape from other locations, it’s reasonable to believe that’s indeed the case. Advantage – Bears
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Wide Receiver
Buccaneers:
- Vincent Jackson
- Tiquan Underwood
- Chris Owusu
- Eric Page
- Russell Shepard
- Skye Dawson
Bears:
- Kevin White
- Kendall Wright
- Markus Wheaton
- Deonte Thompson
- Josh Bellamy
- Tre McBride
This is a tough one to figure because both units did not look good on paper. Chicago suffers from a serious lack of star power. Tampa Bay had major depth question marks. In the end the Buccaneers have to get the nod. Why? Vincent Jackson was still a Pro Bowl standout during that point in time. His presence was something defenses had to account for. The Bears possess nothing of that sort after losing Alshon Jeffery and Cam Meredith. Advantage – Buccaneers
Tight End
Buccaneers:
- Tom Crabtree
- Tim Wright
- Nate Byham
Bears:
- Zach Miller
- Dion Sims
- Adam Shaheen
- Daniel Brown
One thing that became clear with Glennon during his lone full season as starter was he liked throwing to the tight ends. Unfortunately the Buccaneers were poorly equipped for that. Crabtree was a special teams ace and Wright is a journeyman. The Bears are far better situated in that regard. Miller, Sims, Shaheen and Brown all have proven experience as receiving threats. Advantage – Bears
Offensive Line
Buccaneers:
- Donald Penn
- Carl Nicks
- Jeremy Zuttah
- Davin Joseph
- Demar Dotson
Bears:
- Charles Leno
- Kyle Long
- Cody Whitehair
- Josh Sitton
- Bobby Massie
Penn and Nicks were both good players back at that time with Nicks being a Pro Bowler in New Orleans prior to signing in Tampa. That said neither were at their best during this period. The rest of the Bucs line? Average at best. The Bears have two Pro Bowlers in Long and Sitton at guard with Whitehair appearing to be another in the making at center. Leno and Massie are also average but are serviceable. Advantage – Bears
Conclusion
The reality is Mike Glennon has a much more talented offense around him this year than he did as a rookie four years ago. One could also argue he has a better defense to lean on too. It comes down to a simple question. Can he be productive despite having what is, from most accounts, a weak wide receiving corps?
If he can’t then his hold on the starting job isn’t going to last long. Head coach John Fox is under a ton of pressure to start winning some football games this year. Maybe the playoffs are out of the question but certainly improvement from going 3-13 last year. He believes Glennon can be the guy to do that for him. Otherwise he’s all but fired. Desperation may move him to start Mitch Trubisky in the event things turn south.
