Chicago Bears fall to Denver Broncos; Trubisky shines: Highlights, score and analysis

The good, the bad and the meaningful takeaways from the Chicago Bears’ 24-17 loss to the Denver Broncos in their first preseason game.

Well, there you have it, ladies and gentlemen: the Chicago Bears’ preseason has officially begun. And even though the Bears lost, it’s still hard not to be somewhat giddy, despite the end result. Yes, everybody: the Mitch Trubisky hype train is thundering full steam down the tracks right now, and nothing, not even an undesirable final score, can stop it.

Okay, I suppose other things happened in this game too.

Here’s a look back at the important plays and players that decided the outcome of the game. And especially in the preseason, we’ll also look at what this game will mean for the Bears roster going forward.

Mike Glennon Starts It Off with a…(thud)…

It was only fitting the Chicago Bears started the game with the ball so that Glennon could show the fans a taste of what they had to look forward. And on his second pass attempt, he threw a 50-yard touchdown pass–to the Denver Broncos.

https://twitter.com/NFL/status/895799803895881729

The spirit of Jay Cutler looks like it’s still alive and well in Chicago.

On one hand, it did look like the Cameron Meredith–Zach Miller route combination didn’t have great spacing. So there were a multitude of defenders drawn to that area to begin with. Of course, it didn’t help that Glennon completely missed either target and instead hit Chris Harris for the pick-six. You tell me who he was throwing that to.

So, instead of offering Bears fans a taste of something different, Glennon gave them a taste of something quite familiar. And no, it wasn’t pleasant.

Leonard Floyd Goes Beast Mode

Floyd’s success last year mainly arose from him harnessing his uncanny speed and quickness against slower blockers. In his first preseason action of 2017, he showed a glimpse of the brute force he’s adding to his arsenal.

On the Denver Broncos’ first offensive play, Floyd came rampaging around the right side and annihilated Menelik Watson for a thunderous sack on Trevor Siemian.

https://twitter.com/NFL/status/895801709238276096

Of course, Floyd did display his trademark speed and explosiveness in finishing the play. But it was his willingness to use his length to engage and attack Watson that stood out on the play. Last season, he didn’t consistently leverage his long arms against opponents and at times got washed out of plays by more powerful players. This time, he took the fight to his man and used his strengths with ruthless efficiency.

If that’s the Floyd we can expect to see all season, maybe 15 sacks isn’t as far-fetched as it sounds…

All camp, fans have been hearing rumblings about the potential emerging of Floyd as a force of nature. Not in a mood to disappoint, he showed everyone a glimpse of the p

Trubisky Turns the Game Around

After Mark Sanchez relieved Glennon and completed one pass for four yards, John Fox surprisingly turned to Trubisky on the Bears’ last possession of the first half. And the results were electrifying for the home crowd.

The vaunted rookie immediately completed his first four throws, capping off the drive with a touchdown throw to Victor Cruz in the left flat.

Now, for all the negative press Dowell Loggains (deservedly) got for some of his play-calling last season, he seems to have a knack for how to coach Trubisky. The touchdown came on a beautifully designed and executed roll-out, which Trubisky has excelled at in camp. Once he was on the move, it was simply too easy. And he didn’t stop making it look easy for the rest of the game either.

Remember when people were laughing at the thought of Trubisky taking the field because of fumbled snaps? Yeah…that didn’t last, did it?

Defensive Reserves Give Game Away

Of course, Trubisky Day just couldn’t end on a happy note, could it?

With the Bears holding a 17-10 lead in the fourth quarter, the Bears forgot the purpose of the prevent defense and allow some guy named Kyle Sloter to throw a touchdown pass deep down the middle of the field.

Anyone who has an idea of what DeAndre Houston-Carson is doing on this play, do let me know.

But giving up one awful touchdown just wasn’t enough for the Bears’ defensive backups. No. You have to finish the things you start. So, they did.

I get that Houston-Carson is primarily a special teams guy, but don’t they teach angles in kick coverage too? Of course, it’s not like anyone else on the defense had any thoughts of tackling De’Angelo Henderson either, but that didn’t need to be a go-ahead touchdown. And yet, it was. Unfortunately for the Bears, that cost them the game.

Stud of the Game: Trubisky

Now, you don’t need to tell me that Trubisky playing well against third-stringers in the preseason doesn’t mean he’s destined to be great on its own. Everyone knows that. So, don’t bother reminding me.

But whether it was a preseason game or not, Trubisky was the best quarterback on the Bears today. Simple as that.

And it’s not just because he went 10-10 to start his time on the field, or because he immediately led two straight touchdown drives once inserted into the game (even though that’s been his track record since college). And it’s not about his strong final numbers (18/25, 166 yards, 1 TD, 103.1 rating). Those numbers are pretty, but they don’t even fully capture how well he played.

Trubisky governed this football game like a man who’s ready to play right now.

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He stood and delivered throws from the pocket with precision and unflappable certainty from the very first pass he completed–a bullet to Josh Bellamy on a comeback route. He threw effortlessly and accurately on the run, including two absolute dimes to Deonte Thompson along the sideline. And he even sprinkled in a few scrambles for first downs, showing off improvisation and athleticism.

Sure, it would’ve been nice to see him complete the comeback on the final drive, but even though it fell short, Trubisky still looked like he had full control of the game.

For a first time against another team, even in a glorified scrimmage, you could hardly have asked for more.

Honorable Mention: Tarik Cohen

I’ve been unabashed in my optimism about Cohen’s game and his potential to help the Bears’ offense. Aside from Trubisky, Cohen was the Bears’ most exciting offensive player. He finished the game with seven carries for 39 yards and an electrifying 17-yard punt return. Even more encouraging, he ran with strength as well as shiftiness, bouncing off several tackles on an 11-yard  first-quarter run.

And he did it against some Broncos regulars too.

Boy, is it going to be fun watching the Chicago Bears figure out how to get the ball in his hands.

As another short honorable mention, Eddie Jackson also flashed today, showing sharp instincts and flying to the football. Also, for those of you concerned about his tackling:

This man is going to start at free safety really soon. Book it.

Dud of the Game: Glennon

As with Trubisky’s performance, let’s be mindful that this was one preseason game without much real play-calling. Glennon could easily have a bounce-back performance next week that could help put this one behind him.

But let’s also not mince words here: Glennon was awful tonight. And you can’t blame Bears fans for being agitated with his performance.

As mentioned before, his pick-six was just a purely terrible throw to no one in particular–at least not any Bears. And aside from that, Bears’ projected starting quarterback simply accomplished nothing. His next possession after the interception ended with a three-and-out. His third trip on the field culminated with a fumbled snap that was recovered by Denver. Fourth drive: punt.

Sure, it’s preseason. But no one wants to see their starting quarterback finish a game 2-8 for 20 yards and 0.0 passer rating. If he doesn’t step up next week and Trubisky plays like this again, Fox is going to have a big problem.

Adam Shaheen also gets an (dis)honorable mention for this spot. After showing off great hands in training camp, the rookie tight end recorded just one catch for three yards. He also dropped two passes, one of which would’ve been Trubisky’s first touchdown. Statistically, the second one was waved off due to a defensive penalty, but I’m not letting it slide. He’s better than that, and hopefully he’ll improve next week.

Next: Previewing the Bears’ outside linebacker position

The Bears will hope for better when they face off against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 2 of the preseason on Saturday, August 19. In the meantime, I bet you Trubisky becomes the second-string quarterback after today.