NEWSLETTER
After the Bears defense limited the Buccaneers to a field goal on the game’s first drive, Mike Glennon and the offense looked poise to put points on the board to tie or even take a first-quarter lead.
Indeed, Glennon started off hot, completing 6 of 6 passes for 54 yards and a 104.2 rating … and then this happened:
Glennon had Shaheen with an easy throw – then decided to throw to a triple covered TE? @BearsBarroom lost on this throw pic.twitter.com/i5PWVL7VMK
— Draft Dr. Phil (@FulphilO) September 17, 2017
On the outer edges of the red zone, Glennon threw at a triple-covered Dion Sims but was intercepted by linebacker Kwon Alexander. It’s the kind of play that plagued the Jay Cutler era in Chicago, and the type of throw that Glennon – the proud owner of a career 2.2 interception rate entering Sunday’s game – didn’t have a history of making during his time in Tampa Bay.
Here is what it looked like when Glennon released the ball, take note of the throwing lane that gets passed up here:
Nice little window to throw here and some room for Shaheen to move upfield after the catch. pic.twitter.com/snFKj0w0sl
— Bleacher Nation Bears (@BN_Bears) September 17, 2017
Now compare it to what Glennon was throwing into:
On the other hand, Sims is pretty well-covered by 3 Bucs defenders here. pic.twitter.com/Xc1f0Jvi28
— Bleacher Nation Bears (@BN_Bears) September 17, 2017
While he lacked Cutler’s athleticism and arm strength, Glennon was supposed to be an upgrade in the ball security department. But after playing a turnover-free game in Week 1, Glennon threw two interceptions and fumbled away a possession in the first half. For the Bears to be as competitive as they were against the Atlanta Falcons, they’ll need to play near perfect football moving forward.
A four-turnover game – with three coming from the quarterback – isn’t going to cut it.
