Chicago Bears: Despite rhetoric, Mitchell Trubisky needs to take over

Despite losing their first two games, Chicago Bears head coach John Fox is sticking with Mike Glennon. It’s time to see what the rookie can do.

Chicago Bears fans entered the 2017 season hoping this is the year the team takes a step forward to becoming a true contender. After the first two games, however, hope turned into anger. Sure, they almost pulled off an upset against the Atlanta Falcons. They didn’t, though, and many of the same things that plagued the team over the past half-decade in close games cost them again.

The fans’ ire went up even higher after the team’s dismal showing in Tampa. Things started out bad and just snowballed from there.

Of course, with the Bears having prized first-round and second overall draft pick Mitchell Trubisky sitting on the bench, many ask if it’s already time for him to replace the current starter, Mike Glennon. It seems, however, that Glennon has an ally in head coach John Fox.

Reporters asked during the preseason if Trubisky would start a game after his excellent performance. He got a start in the final preseason game, but he just handed the ball over to the running back. That question again arose after Glennon threw two interceptions (one for a pick-six) and fumbled away the ball. Again, Fox didn’t budge (per CBS Sports):

"“I don’t think anybody … without even seeing the tape yet that you can pin that on the quarterback. Like I said earlier, everybody had their hand in that… There’s been no communication of [being benched], So there’s no reason to worry about it. … We just have to regroup and move on to Pittsburgh. There is nothing we can do to change this game now.”"

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Okay, I got a kick out of that first statement. He says without looking at the tapes you can’t pin the debacle on Glennon. This coming from a coach whose first words in every postgame press conference is “I have to see the tape.” Now he doesn’t need to see it?

I know this loss wasn’t all on the shoulders of Glennon. However, like I said with former Bears quarterback Jay Cutler, he had a hand in it — a big hand. Your quarterback cannot throw two interceptions and lose a fumble.

Starting out 0-2 is pretty much a death sentence in terms of hope in a season. Since 1990, only 12 percent of teams starting out 0-2 made it to the playoffs. In the past decade, that percentage is even lower (9.2 percent). So, basically, the season is over in terms of playoff hope. The chances were slim to begin with, but now those chances are gone. Why not make a change at quarterback?

Now, I agree that Trubisky probably shouldn’t be in against the Steelers. They have a good-looking defense and asking him to debut against them may be too much.

Trubisky could start against the Green Bay Packers and their defense. Yes, they’ve done well against the pass (they rank ninth in pass yards allowed), but they aren’t a defense that causes turnovers (they rank 23rd in turnovers caused). Additionally, they struggle against the run, ranking 20th in rushing yards allowed. Trubisky needs a good running game to help him feel comfortable.

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I originally had Trubisky starting in Week 10 against the Packers. He’d have the bye week to get ready. If Glennon continues to struggle, though, the Bears may have no other option than to put him in earlier. I think Trubisky has the mental toughness to handle the struggles of a team going nowhere. He’ll learn quicker and be ready when the team surrounds him with weapons.

Sometimes baptism by fire is the best way to learn. For Mitchell Trubisky and the Chicago Bears, they may find that out sooner than they planned.