Bears' Glennon wants to beat his old team Sunday
Sunday's battle against Tampa Bay isn't just another game for Chicago Bears quarterback Mike Glennon, who was drafted by the Buccaneers in the third round (73rd overall) in 2013.
"Obviously it counts the same, but it's a lot of friends, familiar faces on the other side," Glennon said. "So I think it's just human nature to be looking forward to this a little more just because of going against my former team."
Glennon started 13 games as a rookie and five the following year before the Bucs drafted Jameis Winston No. 1 overall in 2015 and installed him as the starter.
Glennon downplayed the desire to prove anything to his old team.
"I would just love to win," he said. "To get back to 1-1 is the ultimate goal. It doesn't really come down to showing them anything. I just want to have a winning performance and help our team."
Glennon said there's room for improvement in his Week 1 performance that included an 86.8 passer rating.
"Avoid some of the negative plays," he said. "The first-down sack (early in the second quarter) was not good in that situation. You're not going to convert many of those drives taking a (12-yard) sack like that on first down.
"And just find a way to score at the end of the game. Getting down there on the five-yard line, (we've) just got to find a way to get it in there."
In the final 21 seconds of the 23-17 loss to the Falcons, three Glennon passes fell incomplete, and he was sacked on fourth down.
Worthy candidate:
Former Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher is one of 96 players on the preliminary list of Hall of Fame candidates for 2018, which also includes 12 coaches.
"He was a dominant guy," said coach John Fox, who watched Urlacher play from the opposite sideline. "Being a DB for most of your career in college and then transforming into a middle linebacker and (to be) the best in the business that I remember - hope I'm not offending anybody else.
"He was good (vs.) both the run and pass. He was sideline to sideline. You couldn't get away from him because he's right in the middle of the defense. He was part of a lot of really good defenses here."
Worthy of the Hall of Fame?
"In my opinion, yes," Fox said. But I don't think my phone is ringing off the hook right now asking for my vote."
The preliminary list will be whittled to 25 in November and then to 15 finalists in January. During Super Bowl week, four to eight players will be selected for enshrinement.
In 13 seasons, all with the Bears, Urlacher made the Pro Bowl eight times and was first-team all-pro four times.
Injury report:
Linebacker Jerrell Freeman's torn pectoral muscle will require surgery, and the team will decide at a later date if he is one of two players who can be brought back from injured reserve.
Guard Kyle Long (ankle), wide receiver Markus Wheaton (pinkie) and cornerback Prince Amukamara (ankle), all of whom sat out Sunday's game, were all able to practice on a limited basis Wednesday, along with running back Jordan Howard (shoulder), safety Deon Bush (hamstring) and linebacker Christian Jones (back).
Running back Benny Cunningham (ankle) and safety Adrian Amos (personal) did not practice.
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