Chicago Bears Preseason Week 3: Here’s What We Learned

Following an encouraging Week 2 performance for almost everybody except Mike Glennon, the Bears’ brass finally changed their stubborn tune regarding the quarterback position. Instead of just sticking to their guns as they had all offseason about Glennon being the unquestioned starter, John Fox & Co. FINALLY allowed Mitch Trubisky to take practice reps with the first team. And then, they FINALLY allowed him to play with the 1s in their all-important third preseason game against the Tennessee Titans in Nashville.

For us fans, it was a long time coming. Glennon was given the starting job without the hassle of competition, and he blew his opportunity. Meanwhile, Trubisky reportedly played damn well during training camp, and visibly played damn well during his first two preseason appearances. He earned the right to be considered for the starting job, and the notoriously conservative head coach finally obliged and opened the door for his opportunity.

Usually the third preseason game is considered a dress rehearsal for the regular season. And for the Bears, it may have been the most anticipated third preseason game … ever. A chance to see the Bears quarterback of the future get a shot with the starters? That too, on the road and against an exciting, upstart Titans team led by their own franchise quarterback, and former Ryan Pace favorite, Marcus Mariota?

Talk about popcorn TV. And in the end, the Bears ended up winning the game 19-7 which, in reality, wasn’t as close as the score. For their dress rehearsal, the Bears showed a lot of encouraging things as we look forward to the regular season. But it was accompanied with some bad. And some awful. Here’s what we observed and learned:

Offense

Before we get into the all-important quarterback discussion, I just want to point out how devastating Cam Meredith’s (likely) season-ending injury is. After he was carted off with his leg in an air cast, reports came out that the Bears suspect he tore his ACL. Devastating news, to say the least. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if there was more damage than that based on how bad the injury looked. Losing Meredith sucks for multiple reasons. Yes, he was the Bears’ number one receiver and they don’t have a lot of proven depth. But Cam has been a terrific story for two years, and was ready to become a star this year. And now this. It’s crushing for him. And it’s crushing for Chicago’s offense.

Now, on to the QB story. Mike Glennon started his first drive backed up on his own 4-yard line. He seemed destined to sink into irrelevance. But, lo and behold, Glennon’s first drive was terrific instead. He was poised and decisive, and made some quality throws. He converted three 3^rd-and-longs, and finished the drive with a nicely executed TD toss to Dion Sims.

That drive likely cemented his status as Week 1 starter, even though, afterwards, he was only serviceable. He reverted back to some of his poor ball placement tendencies, and left quite a few points on the field. He finished with a respectable stat line, but there was a lot left to be desired. I’m not dreading having him start Week 1 anymore, but I’d be lying if I said I felt comfortable with it.

Mitch Trubisky took over in the second half, and despite another great stat line (10/15, 128 yards, 1 TD, victim of a drop, saved from an INT), he looked like a rookie at times. At some point during his time on the field, he was nearly picked, had a bad exchange with the center, took too long to come out of the huddle on multiple occasions, and caused a delay of game. But he also made some great plays with his feet and threw a beautiful deep ball to Tanner Gentry for a 45-yard touchdown to put the game away for Chicago. His numbers were better than Glennon’s, but more importantly, Trubisky got a lot of valuable tape out of this game to learn from. All I wanted was a glimpse of Trubisky operating with the first team to prove he belongs. I finally got one, and he showed that, all things considered, yes, he does. The clock is ticking even louder for Glennon.

Jordan Howard looks ready for the regular season. He hadn’t gotten many snaps this preseason on purpose, and because of that, he looked fresh, ran hard, and played diversion perfectly to set up Glennon’s TD pass to Sims. I can’t wait to see him and Tarik Cohen on the field at the same time. It has to happen, Dowell!

Kendall Wright more or less locked down his spot as the starting slot receiver for Chicago. He was Glennon’s safety valve on multiple third down conversions on the opening drive. His roster spot was never in question, but he should be a starter now come Week 1.

Kevin White – your time is here. You are now Chicago’s #1 receiver due to Meredith’s injury. Hope you’re up for it. You too, Markus Wheaton.

Hroniss Grasu looked much better today, and the offensive line overall played a great game without Kyle Long. It was great to see.

I’m pumped to see the Bears’ tight ends in action. Dion Sims and Zach Miller look ready. Daniel Brown continues to flash. And I can’t wait to see the unveiling of Adam Shaheen. I’m guessing the Bears purposely didn’t show too much on Shaheen and Cohen. No tape, no ability for opposing defenses to game plan appropriately.

Defense

The defense played one hell of a game, again. A week after throttling Carson Palmer and the high-octane Cardinals offense, the defense suffocated Marcus Mariota, Derrick Henry, DeMarco Murray, and others of the upstart Titans offense. Tennessee didn’t score any points until the fourth quarter, and they required fourth down conversions to do so. It was a lot of fun to watch. These guys look ready to carry this team.

Prince Amukamara hurt his ankle on the first play from scrimmage and was out for the rest of the game. I’m not sure how serious it is, but he was seen with a walking boot after the game. If he’s out for an extended period of time, that hurts.

But on the bright side, Kyle Fuller looked great with the first team on defense. He continues to show improvement and prove to Vic Fangio that he’s ready to contribute. If Prince has to miss some time, Fuller looks set to take his place.

Eddie Jackson started the game with the first team at safety and played well. My guess is he’s locked down a starting spot. If that’s the case, as it should be, then Adrian Amos is solid depth.

Leonard Floyd left the game with a foot injury. It doesn’t seem to be serious, but I was ready to throw my remote at the TV. This guy needs to stay healthy. If he does, I said it last week, the consensus prediction of 12 sacks seems low. He’s a monster.

Speaking of monsters, Akiem Hicks continues to eat people. He had another sack and multiple QB hits, prompting some praise from Titans coach Mike Mularkey after the game. Can the Bears please lock him up now? What more does he have left to prove? Pay him already.

Titans head coach Mike Mularkey to reporters: “[Akiem] Hicks is a load up front. We struggled getting double team blocks on him all day."

— Kevin Fishbain (@kfishbain) August 27, 2017

Special Teams

The Bears’ special teams unit continues to improve and make plays. They have shown amazing growth from last year. I’m not saying this unit is a strength just yet, but they are no longer a joke.

Roy Robertson-Harris continued his ridiculous preseason performance with a blocked punt for a safety. It was a hell of a play for Robertson-Harris as he continues to push for a meaningful role on defense. His demonstrated special teams ability will no doubt help his case.

In the kicking battle, Connor Barth made his only field goal attempt, along with his extra point attempt. Roberto Aguayo, meanwhile, only attempted one kick, a PAT, and made it. I still think it’s Barth’s job considering he’s perfect on the preseason. Claiming Aguayo off waivers may have lit a fire under Barth, which is fine by me.

However, long-snapper Patrick Scales left the game due to a knee injury that was later described as “serious”, and special teams star Sherrick McManus also left the game due to injury. The Bears used a backup tackle to snap for the rest of the game. I don’t envision it being hard to find a replacement snapper, but the Bears will need to work to get the chemistry between new snapper, holder, and kicker down quickly. Don’t underestimate the importance of that.

Final Thoughts

The Bears looked like the better team in every phase of this dress rehearsal, on the road, and against a Titans team that many have as potential favorites to win the AFC South. Preseason games don’t generally mean much, but keep in mind the last three Week 3 preseason games the Bears have played, they have looked like garbage. And each regular season that followed was garbage. So, this beats the hell out of the alternative. Yes, the injury to Meredith will hurt a lot, but the Bears overall have a ton more team depth than in previous seasons, so there is reason to be optimistic.

Glennon seems to have wrapped up the starting quarterback role for Week 1, but don’t write off Trubisky starting a game early in the season just yet. My guess would be, based on the whole body of work so far, that Glennon will have a shorter lease than most think. John Fox cannot afford to sit on his hands if Glennon struggles.

I can’t wait to see the defense in meaningful action. Chicago’s Week 1 opponent, the defending NFC Champion Atlanta Falcons, looked pretty bad on offense in their dress rehearsal against Arizona, whom Chicago beat up on last week. Things aren’t transitive in the NFL, but I’m excited to see them take on a challenge like the Falcons right away.

Overall, this Bears team has a ton more talent than anyone, especially in the national media, has given them credit for. Are they a contender? Maybe not, especially with their tough early schedule and the open questions that still exist at quarterback. But, if they keep even average health, are they a 2-14 or 3-13 team like many have suggested? Hell no.