advertisement

Glennon looks strong in Bears win, so is QB controversy over?

The Chicago Bears may no longer have a quarterback controversy, but there will still be some conversation.

Starting quarterback Mike Glennon needed an impressive outing in Sunday's third preseason game to quiet the clamoring for his benching in favor of rookie Mitch Trubisky.

But he began the day in a hole, backed up at his own 4-yard line.

Apparently Glennon had the Tennessee Titans right where he wanted them.

He engineered a 96-yard TD drive, completing 7 of 9 passes for 84 yards, throwing in rhythm with pinpoint accuracy and demonstrating a command of the offense that was lacking in his first two outings. Trubisky's impressive play in the first two games created the QB debate, but Bears coach John Fox liked the way Glennon handled it.

"We try to build competition," Fox said. "And you want guys who respond to that."

The opening TD came on a 1-yard pass to tight end Dion Sims, the fifth different target Glennon utilized on the drive that got the Bears rolling toward a 19-7 victory.

"To put together a drive like that," Glennon said, "it's about as good as you can get."

The feel-good mood didn't last for long.

On the Bears' second possession, last year's leading receiver, Cam Meredith, had his left knee bent at a gruesome angle after catching a 16-yard pass over the middle. He departed the field on a cart with what the Bears are assuming is a season-ending torn ACL, although Meredith will have an MRI on Monday to confirm.

"He's a huge part of our offense," Glennon said. "He's been one of our go-to guys. (Other) guys have to step up. That's the reality of football. We have a deep group. It's an opportunity for somebody."

Meredith, who was undrafted out of Illinois State in 2015, had 66 receptions for 888 yards last year. And it was his exceptional catch for 28 yards that highlighted the Bears' first TD drive Sunday.

Glennon completed 11 of 18 passes for 134 yards and 1 TD with no interceptions for a 102.5 passer rating while playing the entire first half.

Trubisky did his part to keep the quarterback discussion going, completing 10 of 15 for 128 and a TD without a pick for a 115.4 passer rating.

The second overall draft pick took over after halftime, got two possessions with the starters and played midway into the fourth quarter with backups.

Trubisky showed some inexperience at the start of his outing, struggling to get plays off in time. Once, the Bears had to call timeout, and a couple plays later they were flagged for delay of game.

At North Carolina, Trubisky operated out of the shotgun, so he has had to learn to take the snap directly from center. He stumbled once coming away from the line of scrimmage in that situation and fumbled, but he was able to recover the ball.

Early in the fourth quarter, Trubisky engineered a 75-yard drive that ended with his 45-yard TD toss to undrafted rookie wide receiver Tanner Gentry. Working from a clean pocket, Trubisky dropped the ball perfectly into Gentry's outstretched arms, as he tumbled into the endzone.

Just before the first half ended, Glennon led the Bears to Connor Barth's 41-yard field goal to make it 12-0. The big play on the drive was Glennon's 19-yard pass to Kevin White, who becomes an even more critical component in the offense with Meredith gone.

The Bears drafted White seventh overall in 2015 to be their go-to receiver, but injuries wiped out his entire rookie season and all but four games last year. The 6-foot-3, 216-pound West Virginia product appeared to be ready to step into that role last season with back-to-back 6-catch games.

But that's when he suffered the left leg fractures and severe ankle sprain that ended his season. Surgery for stress fractures in his right shin kept White out for all of 2015.

Now the Bears need him more than ever.

• Follow Bob's Bears reports on Twitter at @BobLeGere.

Hicks looks to be foundation for Bears defense

Even opponents taking notice of Cohen

With Long out, Grasu gets a shot at a starting spot on Bears line

Article Comments
Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.