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Quarterbacks flash, defense dominates in Chicago Bears win over Titans

By Khari Thompson

(Photo by Frederick Breedon/Getty Images)
(Photo by Frederick Breedon/Getty Images) /
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Highlight, analysis and more from the Chicago Bears’ 19-7 win over the Tennessee Titans on Sunday.

Maybe fans didn’t get exactly what the expected, or hoped for, with the Chicago Bears quarterback situation in today’s 19-7 win against the Tennessee Titans.

Mike Glennon started off on fire, while Mitch Trubisky looked very much like a rookie in his first in-game turn with the first-team offense. While they reversed roles a bit after their first few drives, that probably squashes the Bears’ quarterback quandary for now.

But if you’re just hoping to see the Bears look good as a whole, you’re probably pretty happy with what Chicago did today.

Jordan Howard ran hard behind the Bears’ offensive line. Wide receivers actually made plays today. And the defense continued to put opposing offenses on notice heading into this season.

However, the Bears also took at least one devastating blow on the injury front, dampening what should’ve been a celebratory mood.

Here are highlights and key moments from today’s victory.

Glennon, Bears open with dominant drive

Everything, from the screams for Trubisky to the tough opening field position, was aligned against Glennon on his first drive. But with his back against the wall, the maligned veteran hit back like he hasn’t all summer.

He missed only once on the opening drive—a clear drop from Titus Davis—throwing for 84 yards and a touchdown. And this time, the Chicago Bears didn’t baby him the way they did last week.

https://twitter.com/NFL/status/901860094995963904

While Dowell Loggains did call a masterful drive to support Glennon, the quarterback made the kinds of plays he’s been reluctant/unable to make for the first two weeks of preseason.

He owned third downs on multiple occasions, finding Kendall Wright repeatedly to move the chains. Furthermore, he made back-to-back great throws on the goal line—one that Kevin White dropped (though Adoree’ Jackson interfered with him) and then a touchdown to Dion Sims on the next play.

By far, though, the highlight of the day was his strike to Cameron Meredith down the field. Glennon impressively stood in the pocket with the rush bearing down on him and made a tremendous throw right on the money. After questioning whether or not Glennon could make those throws, I admit that that play opened my eyes.

Should the Chicago Bears announce that Glennon will start Week 1 against the Atlanta Falcons, that first drive will undoubtedly be the moment we can all look back on.

Meredith suffers knee injury, lost for year

Unfortunately, nothing good for the Chicago Bears comes without hardship it seems.

After making a few big plays on the first drive of the game, Glennon looked Meredith’s way against on their second drive for a first-down grab. And as Meredith absorbed two big hits, his knee bent in a way that it shouldn’t. Don’t watch this if you have a weak stomach; it’s hard enough even if you don’t.

Meredith stayed down and had to be carted off the field with an air cast on his left leg. Later in the game, the Bears’ training staff revealed that Meredith had likely torn his ACL, ending his season. And depending on further testing, further damage may make his status doubtful for the start of next season.

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On one hand, losing Meredith simply hurts from a skill and statistical standpoint. After clearly leading the Chicago Bears’ receiving corps last season, fans expected big things from him in his first season as a de facto #1 receiver. With his production lost, Kevin White now badly has to step up.

But his loss also hurts from a character and chemistry standpoint. His incredible work ethic is an inspiration to other players on the team, as he elevated himself from an undrafted free agent—formerly a quarterback—to one of the team’s best pass catchers.

All Chicago Bears fans can hope is that the injury wasn’t as bad as it looked. But for now, things appear bleak.

Trubisky overcomes tough start, regains form

After Glennon’s first drive, I didn’t expect that Trubisky could do anything to win the job, even if he played lights out. Unfortunately, though, his turn with the first team took the suspense out of the situation.

He threw two incompletions on his first drive on throws that were uncharacteristically inaccurate. First, he threw wide of Wright in the slot on his first play, then missed high to White on third down.

On his second drive, though he threw the ball better, his pre-snap play showed off his inexperience. Twice, he let the play clock run down too far while trying to get the offense set. The first time, after Dowell Loggains failed to get his attention, the Bears had to burn a timeout. Then, on fourth down and short, Trubisky lost track of the clock again, leading to a delay of game penalty.

But after the ones went out, Trubisky got back into his comfort zone and caught fire. He continued going through his progressions like a seasoned player, standing calmly in the pocket on every pass attempt. And then, in a moment fans have been waiting for all preseason, he let someone loose to Tanner Gentry for the play of the day.

I still don’t think Mike Glennon can make that throw, but that’s just me.

Trubisky’s rookie-ish showing will keep him out of the starting lineup Week 1 of the regular season, barring something unforeseen. And he does need some coaching, especially with pre-snap management.

But after the snap, he remains the best quarterback on the team. As such, I still believe that Trubisky will start more than half the Chicago Bears’ games this season. At some point, it will be hard to keep his obvious talent off the field.

3 Studs of the Game

Glennon

Ok, hear me out on this one before you pounce.

Yes, I did watch what occurred after the first drive. Following his hot start, Glennon didn’t really play that well. He made a couple of poor third down throws, turfed a short throw over the middle and missed an easy touchdown to Deonte Thompson on a corner route. In that moment, in spite of all he did previously, one wondered if Trubisky would’ve similarly missed that throw. I’m going to guess not.

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But we also have to be honest: scripted or not, he owned that first drive. And in doing so, he firmly took charge of his fate.

He didn’t just make the easy throws that he’s good at, either. He made important throws on third down to keep the offense moving and dared to push the ball downfield as well, with success. And, most importantly, he took care of the football and played his game manager role correctly this time.

His regression after that does bring his overall performance down a notch, it’s true. But for a guy that people expected to choke today, he stood up to the challenge. And for that, he deserves credit.

Kendall Wright

Wright has firmly left everyone else in the slot receiver position battle in his dust after today.

Last week, he started to emerge as a safety valve for Glennon, with him looking for Wright on his interception and his touchdown against the Arizona Cardinals. Then today, he posted three catches for 35 yards, all on third down.

Though Victor Cruz made most of the headlines in practice early, Wright has been making the plays in the game of late. Especially with Meredith about to miss the season with his injury, Wright has secured his spot on the roster.

Hopefully, Loggains keeps wielding Wright the way he has in the slot the way he has recently. If he keeps making plays, he could end up being one of their most productive receivers.

Roy Robertson-Harris

If anyone was wondering if Robertson-Harris would make this team, he answered your questions.

First off, the undrafted rookie got some runs with the first team on third downs as a pass rusher. On one play, he chased a scrambling Mariota toward the sideline to help get a third-down stop.

Then, he did this.

The confidence to put him on the field with the ones after his huge game last week already spoke volumes. Throw in a game-changing play on special teams? Book his spot on the roster now.

Dud of the Game: Cre’Von LeBlanc

For the most part, it was hard to find guys that struggled significantly in this game. As such, you won’t find three duds on this list. However, one player that needs to step his game up is Cre’Von LeBlanc.

LeBlanc is getting plenty of opportunities to prove himself at nickel corner for the Bears right now with Bryce Callahan out. And he hasn’t exactly inspired a wealth of confidence so far.

He continues to give up his cushion very early in routes, allowing open completions far too often. His lax coverage partly led the Bears giving up a first down on 3rd down and 31.

He manages, once in a while, to get his hand on a pass, but overall, his play leaves much to be desired.

Next: Bears lose Cameron Meredith to devastating injury

Callahan had better get back soon…

If nothing else, the Chicago Bears will hope to escape the preseason without losing anyone else Thursday against the Cleveland Browns.

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