Chicago Bears 2017 Week 2: Here's What We Learned

What an unmitigated disaster. A week after showing plenty of promise in a surprisingly close yet equally demoralizing loss to the Atlanta Falcons, the Chicago Bears completely failed to show up against a Tampa Bay Buccaneers team that had its Week 1 matchup cancelled due to Hurricane Irma. Penalties. Turnovers. Injuries. More penalties. More turnovers. More injuries. The Bears were unprepared for anything and everything that the Bucs threw at them. No pass rush, untimely penalties on multiple third downs to extend drives, unimaginative play-calling, you name it. It was an unacceptable performance for a Bears team that has so much up in the air. Mike Glennon essentially destroyed any little worth he had to the team by imploding in a first half laugher. A horrific decision led to a crushing interception on their first drive. A strip-sack a short time later led to more Bucs points. And then Glennon completed the trifecta by getting undercut on an out-route, leading to a pick-six that slammed the door on Week 2. The entire point of Mike Glennon has been to manage the game, limit turnovers, and give the Bears’ defense a chance to win the game. Instead, Glennon played Bucs double-agent in a first half performance that conjured memories of Chicago’s 36-10 disaster at Raymond James Stadium last year. By showing qualities that coach John Fox essentially assured us don’t exist, what the hell is the point of playing the immobile, untalented quarterback? If any game was a cry for Mitch Trubisky, it was this one. When it was 17-0, I argued that the ensuing Bucs pass rush would eat Glennon alive, and that there was no better time for Trubisky to make his debut.

Of course, Glennon trotted back out there and delivered a pick-six that crushed any logic to play Trubisky this week. And at the time of this writing, the Bears were down 29-0, midway through the fourth quarter. Twenty-nine to zero. If Trubisky isn’t starting at home against the Pittsburgh Steelers next week, Soldier Field had better be empty other than opposing fans. It’s indefensible for this coaching staff to sell anybody with a brain that Glennon is still the right choice to start. For those saying “Trubisky should take this year to learn on the sidelines,” what in the hell is he learning watching this garbage? The answer: Not a damn thing. I love Dowell Loggains, but it’s time to find a new way to get Tarik Cohen the ball until the switch is made at quarterback. The book is out – Glennon can’t throw deep. Or throw at all, really. So, every reasonable defensive coordinator will stack the box and dare the Bears to throw the ball. Again, Glennon can’t. So, the offense will suffer as a result. The proof? The Bears ran for 14 yards in the first half on 16 carries. At the end of the third quarter, they had 16 carries for 20 yards total. Those are not typos. Amazing. The defense did not play a great game, especially with some terrible penalties on what should have been third down stops. Those extended drives and allowed the Bucs to get additional points when they shouldn’t have. Couple that with the turnovers, and the defense was gassed. I don’t blame them. And after getting their first turnover of the season down 26-0, I didn’t see very many celebrations or smiles on the sideline. Rightfully so, I suppose, but this defense deserves much better from its counterpart units. They are not the reason the Bears lost this game. Not even close.

Chicago has plenty to work on before their Week 3 game against the Steelers. And I mean plenty. The season can essentially be written off with their 0-2 start with upcoming games against Pittsburgh and Green Bay. Their next realistic shot at a win will come in Week 5 against the Minnesota Vikings. One thing is for sure, this team is only as good as its quarterback and its head coach. And neither of them are good. I don’t know when the right time is to make a change at head coach, but there certainly is one to make a change at quarterback. Next week. At this point, it’s Trubisky or bust for this season.