NEWSLETTER
Through three games, it continues to be difficult to ignore Mike Glennon’s limitations – and there are plenty to choose from.
For example, 1) his tendency to dump it off when the first read isn’t available right away, 2) the obvious and immediate panic when feeling a little bit of pressure, 3) his overwhelming reliance on short passes, and 4) the overall lack of willingness/ability to push the ball downfield.
Offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains can’t game plan around Glennon’s extreme deficiencies for a full 16-game season, as teams will make the necessary adjustments eventually.
“Glennon was a checkdown machine in this game, and while the Bears clearly based their offensive attack around the run game this week it was still tough watching Glennon refuse to look downfield. He attempted just four passes that traveled at least 10 yards in the air and completed only one for 17 yards. While this was a win for the Bears, Glennon’s lack of an intermediate or deep game could be a cause for concern for the Bears as the season rolls on.”
At some point, Glennon must take the next step in his development and make adjustments to keep the offense going in the right direction.
Yes, the Chicago Bears’ offense will be run heavy. And it should be exactly that after watching Jordan Howard and Tarik Cohen combine to average 6.2 yards per carry against a solid Steelers defense. However, we’re still waiting for Glennon to demonstrate an ability to take pressure off the run game by throwing over-the-top of opposing defenses. If teams sell out to stop the run in the weeks to come, throwing lanes should open up for Glennon to throw downfield. But after three games, there is nothing to suggest Glennon would even make an attempt at throwing into them.
Bears receivers have seen 41 targets, caught 27 passes, gained 295 yards, and scored one touchdown. That adds up to a 74.7 passer rating for Glennon when he’s throwing to wide receivers. Otherwise, his passer rating is 82.9 when throwing to running backs and tight ends … which is still not great.
There’s no doubt Bears receivers leave something to be desired – Brandon Marshall isn’t walking through that door, and neither is Alshon Jeffery, Cameron Meredith or Kevin White. However, it’s fair to say that Bears receivers aren’t getting much of an opportunity to prove their worth to Glennon, who’s done seemingly everything in his power to not throw at the guys on the team’s active game day roster.
At some point, he’ll have to make it work with the receivers at his disposal. And if he doesn’t at least show an effort to make that happen, the Bears’ offense will suffer.
