2018 Needs Rankings
Need 1. Wide Receiver
Outside of a few teams desperate for a quarterback, the Bears may have a bigger need at WR than any team’s need at any position. In the last few weeks they have lost their number one and number two options while already heading into 2017 with one of the weakest receiving tandems in the game. It would be great to know if the quarterback of the future is capable of elevating lesser receiving talents before the Bears invest big money/high pick in the position, wouldn’t it?
Need 2. Pass Rusher
Bears have Leonard Floyd. They need another one.
Need 3. Smooth Tackling Safety
Bears need a bopper at the third level. They need a sure-thing tackling machine. Quintin Demps Sunday missed two pivotal tackles, one in the backfield and one down field on the big Hooper touchdown. Make those tackles, change the score.
Hoge on the Glennon/Barkley Comparison
This is as good a passage as I’ve read from a beat this season:
Last November against the Titans, Matt Barkley was the quarterback making his first start for the Chicago Bears. He wasn’t great early, but surprised everyone in the fourth quarter as offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains aired it out in a comeback attempt. Operating with replacement-level receivers, Barkley got the Bears down to the Titans’ 7-yard-line with 47 seconds left in the game. On first down, Bellamy dropped a touchdown. On second and third down, Barkley failed to connect with his intended targets. And on fourth down, Deonte Thompson failed to haul in a low, but catchable pass in the end zone. The Bears lost.
Sunday against the Falcons, Mike Glennon was the quarterback making his first start for the Chicago Bears. He wasn’t great early, but surprised everyone in the fourth quarter as Loggains aired it out in a comeback attempt. Operating with replacement-level receivers, Glennon got the Bears down to the Falcons’ 5-yard-line with 21 seconds left in the game. On first down, Bellamy was held slightly coming out of his break and couldn’t secure a catchable pass in the end zone. On second down, running back Jordan Howard dropped Glennon’s pass near the goal line. On third down, Glennon failed to connect with tight end Zach Miller and on fourth down, Glennon was sacked. The Bears lost.
Not much was different Sunday at Soldier Field. Except that this time the Bears might have had their own Marcus Mariota standing on their sideline in uniform.
Was Mike Glennon the reason why the Bears lost to the Falcons? No. But Trubisky could have been the reason why they beat the Falcons. We’ll never know.
This will become the trend in coverage. It won’t be that Glennon goes out and loses games. He doesn’t take enough chances to do that. It’ll be that he doesn’t do anything to win them. And Trubisky waits, patiently.
Dumbest Tweet of the Opener
Mike Glennon played fine today. Those who adamantly disagree with that had their minds made up before kickoff.
— Dan Wiederer (@danwiederer) September 10, 2017
I mean, c’mon. What the hell is “fine”? And didn’t the Bears draft Trubisky because “fine” is not enough?
Polish Sausage Links
- Screw your Ten Things, Brad Biggs. The legend that is Adam Jahns now showcases his Fourteen Things in the Sun-Times. And most of them are interesting.
- Is “fine” enough? Of course not. Here’s a piece at WCG from Robert Zeglinski explaining why Bears fans should want more from the quarterback position.
- My buddies the Q Brothers are bringing their Christmas Carol back to Chicago Shakespeare this year. It’s a brilliantly hysterical show and I can’t wait to see it again. You should make it part of your holiday season this year. You won’t regret it. For tickets, CLICK HERE.
- Tarik Cohen was magnificent Sunday. But did you also know he was historic? The fine folks writing for the Bears website let you know all about.
- I don’t talk much about 9/11. Those who know me know why. But if you only read one piece every year about that day, I recommend this masterpiece from Tom Junod in Equire.
