Chicago Bears lose to Atlanta Falcons: Offensive grades

Upon watching this game, I can see exactly why the Chicago Bears signed Mike Glennon this offseason. He’s the quintessential John Fox quarterback – good enough not to lose games but ultimately not good enough to win.

It’s been a while since I’ve seen a stat line as sad as Glennon’s after three quarters: 7/12 for 41 yards. Truthfully, if you thought the numbers were bad, actually watching him play was even sadder.

He didn’t make any of the awful mistakes he made in preseason, but his play was utterly devoid of substance. Except for one throw (maybe two, tops) Glennon absolutely refused to challenge the Falcons down the field, inviting them to crowd the line of scrimmage. And when Atlanta sent pressure, the statue-like Glennon looked helpless to respond.

I mean, even a 40-year-old Tom Brady might be more agile in the pocket than Glennon. And for a pocket passer, Glennon’s awareness needs some work.

Plus, even when he was completing passes, his throws down the field or on the move were hardly pinpoint.

That said, while the Falcons clearly let their foot off the gas in the fourth quarter, he still made plays down the stretch that got the Bears in position to win.

Those last two drives don’t negate how poor he looked for the first three quarters. But if you’re evaluating his entire game, you also can’t gloss over Glennon potentially coming within a Jordan Howard drop of winning this game for the Bears.

That said, let’s be clear: Glennon did not overly impress me. And I have not changed in my desire to see Mitch Trubisky by the bye week. He’ll play like a rookie, but ultimately, if this is the best that Glennon can do, there’s no reason to redshirt Trubisky.

Unfortunately, until the Chicago Bears make a change, this is what the Bears and their fans are stuck with. And as long as we’re stuck with it, I’m going to try to look at Glennon as fairly as possible.

He was bad, but this loss was far from his fault alone. And if Howard had made that catch and finished turning into the end zone, what would we be saying then?