Bears QB Mike Glennon shines in quest to hold off exciting Mitch Trubisky
Give Mike Glennon this: He responded pretty well to all the talk about him losing his job to a rookie.
The Chicago Bears hadn’t shown any signs they were ready to replace Glennon with rookie Mitch Trubisky at quarterback, and nothing that happened Sunday should change their minds. Glennon looked sharp in a 19-7 win against the Tennessee Titans, particularly on the first drive of the game. It was by far his best performance this preseason. It would be a big surprise at this point if Glennon isn’t the Bears’ starting quarterback in two weeks when they open the regular season.
In the first quarter Sunday, Chicago was backed up at its 4-yard line after a great punt. Glennon led the Bears on a 15-play, 96-yard drive. He hit 7-of-9 passes for 84 yards on the drive, including some really nice throws. His best pass came downfield to Cameron Meredith (who later would suffer a bad injury that the team believes is a torn ACL). He was calm in the pocket and consistently delivered accurate strikes over the middle. Glennon finished the drive with a touchdown pass to tight end Dion Sims.
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Glennon finished 11 of 18 for 134 yards in a half of work. The Bears led 12-0 against a promising Titans team at halftime. If there was even the slightest chance of Trubisky, the second overall pick of the draft, starting the regular season, Glennon likely closed the door on that Sunday.
Trubisky also played well against the Titans. He had a pretty deep pass to Tanner Gentry for a 45-yard touchdown. Trubisky had some rookie moments, including a pass that should have been intercepted, but like the first two preseason games Trubisky showed exactly why the Bears loved him in the draft. He made plays with his mobility and showed off a strong arm and a pocket presence that belies his lack of college experience. He was 10 of 15 for 128 yards and continued to establish himself as the Bears’ quarterback of the future.
It seems like a bygone conclusion that Trubisky will play at some point this season. First-round picks at quarterback don’t sit anymore, especially ones drafted as high as Trubisky was. And Trubisky has played well in the preseason. Fans will want to see him play sooner rather than later. But the Bears have stuck by Glennon as their starter, and he repaid their faith with a nice game on Sunday.
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Frank Schwab is the editor of Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at shutdown.corner@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!
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