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Charles Tillman’s Next Career Choice is More Badass Than Yours

By
Erik Lambert
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charles tillman fbi

One thing that becomes apparent for most working human beings is that they have at least two extensive careers in their lifetimes. For former star Chicago Bears cornerback Charles Tillman, the first one ended in January of 2016 in Super Bowl 50. His brilliant football run saw him deliver two Pro Bowls, 36 interceptions and 44 forced fumbles. As if the man wasn’t badass enough, he’s decided to level up to Charles Tillman FBI agent.

That’s right. The man known as “Peanut” may have to be known as “Nutcracker” in the near future. According to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune, multiple sources informed them that Tillman had been accepted for training to join the prestigious crime fighting organization. Quite the unexpected turn of events.

“Forget unsuspecting NFL wide receivers. The next guy Charles Tillman executes the “Peanut Punch” on might be a fugitive running from the law.

The former Chicago Bears cornerback recently began training to join the Federal Bureau of Investigation, multiple individuals told the Tribune, including a high-ranking law enforcement source who is not authorized to speak publicly on the matter.

FBI guidelines mandate prospective candidates for hiring as a special agent must be at least 23 years old but younger than 37 at the time of appointment. Tillman turns 37 on Feb. 23.”

Charles Tillman FBI swerve is unexpected but fitting

One thing about Tillman is he’s always been the type of guy who loves to serve his community. His charity work throughout his NFL career was the stuff of legends. So in hindsight it shouldn’t be a surprise that he wants to continue that service in a new vocation. It doesn’t get much more high-profile and impacting than the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Here’s hoping he passes with flying colors. It would be great to know one of Chicago’s finest sons is serving his country in that fashion.

Mike Tomlin Just Showed How Little Steelers Fear Mike Glennon

By
Erik Lambert
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mike tomlin glennon

Think the cat is out of the bag on Mike Glennon at this point? They say perception is reality in the NFL. That’s certainly been the case thus far. Glennon was viewed by many as an average quarterback who could only execute when given ideal conditions. Ask him to take a play beyond the design and that’s begging for trouble. Two games into his Chicago Bears tenure and opponents are already figuring out how to attack him. Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin, who will face the Bears Sunday, summed it up in one simple word.

Glennon is a 1970s quarterback trapped in the modern day. He operates exclusively from the pocket and cannot run at all. He has zero rushing yards through two games and been sacked five times. By now the game plan has become evident to all. Load the box to stop the run and dare Glennon to try throwing deep. They know he wont’.

As result he’ll try hanging in the pocket to find targets underneath that will be smothered, permitting the pass rushers to tee off on him. One can imagine how the Steelers, a team with nine sacks already this season, must be feeling.

Mike Tomlin Glennon barb wasn’t a shot but simply the truth

At this point Bears fans are about done with Glennon anyway. They’re going to sit back and offer limited attention to this team until Mitch Trubisky is in. Nonetheless it’s rather disheartening to hear the coach of an opposite so summarily dismiss the Bears QB as a non-factor. Of course this is nothing new to Chicago. People here have grown used to that, but what makes it worse is knowing there’s somebody available on the bench who could be better.

Yet for whatever reason the coaches refuse to give him a chance. It’s like being stuck on a boring ride that operators won’t let you get off even after it’s over. Clearly the Steelers expect to win Sunday, and it’s hard to argue at this point. They have superiority in several areas, but the biggest gap is at the position that matters most.

Entire Future White Sox Rotation Could Be On The South Side In 2018

By
Emmet McClain
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Even though the White Sox are a bottom dweller team this season, they have still been rather fun to watch. Seeing the young players make their debuts has fans drooling for the future. Pair that with their never-say-die attitude (Ricky’s boys don’t quit!) and the White Sox have been exciting in year one of the rebuild. Next season has the chance to be even more exciting. The offense will still have some gaping holes, but a few more prized minor-league arms should find their way into the starting rotation at some point in 2018.

The Big 3

Currently, the White Sox have the makings of a future “Big 3” in the Majors as we speak. That would be lefty ace Carlos Rodon, and right-handers Reynaldo Lopez and Lucas Giolito.

Rodon could very well wind up being the X-factor of future White Sox teams. When healthy, he has shown that he has the stuff that would label him an ace. The thing is, he has had trouble staying healthy in his career thus far. He missed the first half of this season with a shoulder issue, but came back and after an inconsistent couple starts, went off on opposing batters. He got to be so entertaining to watch that it was almost must-watch television for fans. Then, he went on the DL again, effectively ending his season. If Rodon wants to be the ace of this young staff, he needs to go a full season without any injury issues. If he does, he could win 15+ games each year for the South Side.

Reynaldo Lopez is what I would call a “bulldog” of a pitcher. If I had to compare him to a pitcher, it would be Yorando Ventura, the former flamethrower for the Kansas City Royals. Before his tragic death, Ventura was dynamite. He wasn’t in the top tier a la Max Scherzer, Chris Sale, Clayton Kershaw; but he could probably be put into a second tier group. Lopez is similar to Ventura in that they both throw hard despite their smaller size. Furthermore, they both seem to have that competitive fire burning inside them. The White Sox don’t even need Lopez to be a top-of-the-rotation guy. Having him as a 3, or even 4 in a 5-man rotation would do absolute wonders for the ball club and truly shows the depth the organization has when it comes to starting pitchers.

Next, we have Lucas Giolito. Boy has he made people forget about his 5+ ERA in Triple-A. In 5 starts with the White Sox, he has registered a 2.56 ERA while walking just over 3/9 innings. To me, Giolito reminds me a lot of former White Sox pitcher Gavin Floyd when it comes to size (both are 6’6). However, Giolito has MUCH better stuff than Floyd ever did. His throwing motion also gives opposing pitchers fits. He throws with an exaggerated downhill plane, making it look like his fastball has even more sink than it really does. This, in effect, makes his face high fastball a deadly weapon as an out-pitch. Look for Giolito to take a big step forward next year. His confidence is back, and it is showing.

The Reinforcements

Next season it sounds like the White Sox will have two more electric young arms joining the rotation sooner rather than later. That would be Michael Kopech and Alec Hansen.

All signs point to Michael Kopech being given the chance to win a rotation spot out of 2018 Spring Training. While that is an exciting thought, I would be shocked if he were to debut with the White Sox in April. However, fans shouldn’t have to wait very long to see him in black and white. If he has a great Spring Training, and dominates his first few starts in Triple-A next season, he could be up by June. The White Sox won’t rush him to the MLB by any means, but if he shows he is ready, he might force the White Sox’ hand.

Alec Hansen is the real surprise here. The previous 4 names mentioned are all locks to be with the White Sox next season. Hansen is a different story, at least according to MLB.com. They have the soon-to-be-23-year-old making his debut in 2019. The MiLB leader in strikeouts seems to have different thoughts on that.

Some scouts are saying that Hansen will be the future no. 1 on the pitching staff. All 4 of his pitches grade out to at least average, but his fastball/slider combo is what really sets him apart from others. His fastball is just slightly slower than Kopech’s, but similar to Giolito, Hansen has the size that Kopech is missing. In fact, Hansen will be one of the tallest players in all of baseball. He is listed at 6’7, but teammates such as Zack Collins swear he is even taller. In short, he is a taller version of Giolito with better stuff. He would have gone no. 1 overall in the 2016 MLB draft, but he got extremely wild in his last season at Oklahoma, effectively scaring teams away. The fact that the White Sox got him in the 2nd round could make him the steal of the draft. Currently, Hansen ranks 94 on the MLB top-100 list. Expect him to take a DRASTIC jump in those rankings going into the start of next year. I would be shocked if he wasn’t in the top-50. It sounds like he is confident that he will be with the White Sox next season at some point. If/when that happens, we will be looking at the future White Sox rotation in its entirety. Talk about goosebumps.

End Of 2018 Rotation

If Hansen does indeed join the White Sox next season, the rotation will look something like this.

  1. Carlos Rodon-LHP
  2. Lucas Giolito-RHP
  3. Reynaldo Lopez-RHP
  4. Michael Kopech-RHP
  5. Alec Hansen-RHP

Yes the number of righties is a little concerning, but 3 out of the 4 righties all possess ace potential. That makes it much less worrisome thinking about the imbalance of righty-lefty. At least for now.

Okay, so we have the 2018 rotation from say, mid-August/early September. Let’s preview 2019 in entirety while we’re at it.

2019 Rotation

  1. Carlos Rodon-LHP
  2. Michael Kopech-RHP
  3. Lucas Giolito-RHP
  4. Alec Hansen-RHP
  5. Reynaldo Lopez-RHP

Gun to my head, this would be the starting 5 in order in 2019. You could easily flip around 2-4 in any order, but I think Ricky Renteria goes with the slightly more experienced guys at the top in front of Hansen, then Lopez fills out the rotation as the 5th man.

I know we talk about how 2020 is the first year the White Sox might do anything relevant, but this is a rotation that can legitimately carry the team. Knowing that you can go into literally every game with a good chance of winning does wonders for the offense. It causes a ripple effect throughout the entire club house. And with Eloy Jimenez coming quick, the White Sox offense could be pretty damn good in their own right. Throw in a big time free agent signing by the wizard known as Rick Hahn, and suddenly the 2019 White Sox look like a team that can do some legitimate damage in the American League.

2018 will more than likely be another lost season record-wise, but they will be just as entertaining as they were this year, if not more. Then we buckle up for what could be an incredible 2019 ride.

Three Reasons To Finish Watching The White Sox’s Terrible, No Good, Downright Awful Season

By
Matt Enuco
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The White Sox have cause for celebration, kind of.
Duane Burleson/Getty Images North America via Zimbio

Before you flub a sardonic gasp and run to the message board while venom pools at the keyboard, realize that what I am about to tell you is cast through a lens of expected failure.  

Like everyone else, I knew this was a discarded season for the White Sox before the first pitch was thrown. But the hashtags on twitter and japes about proud failures have run amuck and become rallying cries for ill-begotten ends.

Yet, there were reasons to cheer this season, but they are dwindling with the summer skies. So, here are a few causes to celebrate the final two weeks of the season.

The Offense

The offense was offensive (see what I did there?) most of the season. Avisail Garcia and Jose Abreu have buoyed an anemic performance from a tattered lineup with myriad iterations. Abreu will reach a milestone this week that only two other major-league players have matched. He will collect 100 runs batted in while belting 25 or more home runs in each of his first four seasons – Joe DiMaggio and Albert Pujols are the only other players to match this feat.

Garcia has posted an unthinkable .333 batting average this season while cynics kept waiting for the inevitable decline that never came. Even after a brief stint on the D.L., Garcia returned and kept pace.

And while the majority of the lineup has been patched together with young players and rookies, believe it or not, the White Sox have had a better than average offensive season. They rank 13th in Major League Baseball with a collective .259 batting average, four points higher than the league average and three points higher than the Cubs – yes, white sox fans, you can gloat.

Joining Abreu and Garcia are Tim Anderson and Matt Davidson with strong performances. Anderson is batting .458 with two home runs and 13 runs scored in the last 13 games. He has posted nine multi-hit games over that span and boasts a .340 average the past 30 days.

Davidson, meanwhile, has blasted 25 home runs in his rookie campaign, good enough for second among American League rookies. Though, Rookie of the Year seems out of reach for Davidson since Aaron Judge is certain to run away with the award.

Starting Rotation

The rotation suffered an overabundance of setbacks throughout the season, none unexpected. Carlos Rodon began the season on the D.L., Jose Quintana forgot to pack his quality starts after the World Baseball Classic and Derek Holland was as expected, terrible.

With Chris Sale’s departure and the promise of Quintana’s parting, there was still hope for a solid starting crew. Rodon was supposed to continue his success while James Shields and Holland might regain their early-career touch. And with the wave of prospects forcing themselves into the big-league conversation, there was lavish optimism huddled around the pitching staff. Yet, here we are at the end of a season that was expected to be sour, but not quite this tart.

Miguel Gonzalez held down the rotation as the most consistent and durable starter in the rotation while Shields continued his plummet into major league obscurity. After Quintana was jettisoned the wheels started to come off. The White Sox early success in April rapidly eroded into an embarrassing finish at the bottom of the league.

The rotation could post the least amount of wins lost (9) and losses saved (11) in 2017. What this amounts to is the ghastly reality that the South Siders were hardly ever in a position to win when their starter exited and their offense never bailed them out. Compounding the pain, the White Sox are last in wins (34) for the starting rotation while posting the second highest total losses this season (69).

Most concerning is that after Gonzalez and Holland were freed, Reynaldo Lopez and Lucas Giolito joined the carousel. And while they have had success the staff’s ERA is still 4.96 in Sept. with expanded rosters. And yes, I know Mike Pelfrey, Dylan Covey, Chris Volstad and David Holmberg are somewhere in that starting recipe.

Carson Fulmer imploded in his first start since being called up for good but has found a wellspring of success lately. His latest and most urgent test will be on Thursday when he faces the Houston Astros and Dallas Keuchel.

Engel in the Outfield

White Sox brass only protected three players from the Rule 5 draft last winter, Jacob May, Brad Goldberg and Adam Engel. May broke camp with the White Sox and learned a hasty lesson on big-league pitching. After May was sent down and a host of pesky injuries and trades, Engel joined the squad and stunned the world.

From leaping grabs to diving swipes and everything in between, Engel followed through on his promise and skill.  Although he is batting below the Mendoza line (.185) his defensive value has been off the charts.

Engel has been worth 12 outs above replacement ranking sixth in Major League Baseball behind stiff competition. Byron Buxton and Ender Inciarte lead this category but Engel’s catch percentage is a mere two points shy of Buxton. If nothing else, Engel has played himself into the long-term conversation in centerfield.

And consider the following as well. Nicky Delmonico was unprotected from the Rule 5 draft and was one of the glossy narratives of an Ill-begotten season.

Bulls Hire Former Coach Doug Collins As New Member Of Front Office

By
Matt Peck
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The Bulls are bringing back a familiar face.

On Tuesday morning, the team’s Twitter account released an official statement welcoming former head coach Doug Collins back to the organization as a Senior Advisor to Vice President John Paxson.

Collins served as the head coach of the Bulls from 1986-89 while Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen were clawing their way up the Eastern Conference. He was very popular in Chicago, but general manager Jerry Krause replaced him with his assistant Phil Jackson before the 1989-90 season. Jackson led Jordan and the Bulls to their six-title dynasty.

Since resigning from his coaching job with the Washington Wizards in 2013, Collins has enjoyed a successful broadcasting career analyzing NBA games. It was his second stint in broadcasting, which will now likely be put on hold while he joins the Bulls front office.

The team’s official statement says Collins will report to VP John Paxson, who wanted to hire Collins back as a coach for the Bulls in 2008. Owner Jerry Reinsdorf nixed that hire.

Reinsdorf on Collins coming back to the Bulls:

“Doug will be great in this capacity for our organization. The position of ‘senior advisor’ has proven to work well around the NBA in recent years, and I am confident the same will hold true with the Bulls. The fact that our relationship goes back more than 30 years certainly helps, but he is especially qualified to assist our leadership in rebuilding the Bulls.” – Jerry Reinsdorf

For a fanbase crying out for fresh faces in the front office, this probably isn’t a very exciting or encouraging hire. Collins is another old face from the glory days past of this tired franchise. It’s not surprising, however, considering how strongly Reinsdorf allows his longstanding loyalties dictate his organization’s list of employees. Perhaps fans should be encouraged. After all, Collins joining Paxson could be the first step towards finally removing Gar Forman from the general manager’s chair.

Here’s Collins’s statement on joining his old team:

“People who know me know the respect that I have for Jerry, Michael, and the Chicago Bulls organization. I am looking forward to getting started and helping everyone. To be able to stay involved in the NBA and work with John, Gar, Fred and their respective staffs, while not having to leave my family and continuing to live in one of the greatest cities in the world—the fit couldn’t be any better for me at this point in my life.” – Doug Collins

Welcome back to Chicago, Doug. Here’s hoping your sharp basketball mind can help steer the wandering clown car that’s currently driven by Paxson and Gar Forman.

How a League Trend Suckered the Bears Into Hiring John Fox

By
Erik Lambert
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hiring john fox

Hiring John Fox was a big mistake. In hindsight people should’ve seen that from the beginning. The warning signs were there. Here’s a guy who was fired despite going 12-4 the previous season in 2014. That doesn’t happen unless the team is genuinely convinced he’s not good enough. The fact that Denver won the Super Bowl the year after he left? That’s not a coincidence.

In fact Broncos VP John Elway alluded to the exact reason why Fox was dismissed. Those same problems referenced then have since appeared in a big way for Chicago.

“I think if there is one thing that you would like to have and you want to feel, at least in the last game you want to feel like you go out kicking and screaming. When you’re right there, and I think two years in a row it didn’t feel like we went out kicking and screaming because of the fact the way we played the last game.”

Elway added that he was “disappointed we didn’t have more fire” against the Colts.”

Sound familiar? After a close loss to Atlanta in week one, people expected the Bears to come out angry and pissed off the next week in Tampa Bay. Instead they were sluggish, sloppy and dumb from beginning to end. The Buccaneers crushed them 29-7. All the hallmarks of what Elway referenced were on display.

So how in the hell did the Bears get suckered into hiring him?

Hiring John Fox came about through two courses of events

Since 2000, a total of 11 of the 17 Super Bowls played were won by coaches running their second or third teams. Of course that number is somewhat skewed by Bill Belichick and Tom Coughlin who claimed seven of those victories. Still, the league has had a run of the successful second chance coaches in the past couple decades.

That’s made even more remarkable by the fact that from 1966 to 1999, second chance coaches only won six Super Bowls. The rest went to coaches with their first teams. So in many ways the Bears were lured into the “experienced” coach end of the pool for two reasons. The first was a league trend of success in that direction and the other was having a young rookie GM.

“The move comes as little surprise after Rapoport was told that Chicago wanted to pair first-year general manager Ryan Pace with a veteran head coach. Fox undoubtedly received a strong review from friend and Saints coach Sean Payton, who worked for years with Pace in New Orleans.”

 

Experience means less than whether he’s right for the team

After the Marc Trestman debacle, the Bears clearly wanted a head coach with deep NFL roots. Trestman had not been in the league since 2008 and clearly was behind the times. Fox becoming available looked like a filet mignon after two years of burnt rump roast. Unfortunately the Bears didn’t have the cool heads needed to at least think about it for a couple days.

They basically got on the phone as fast as possible and handed him the job. Now here they are paying for it. Fox actually has a worse winning percentage right now than Trestman did. Drink that in for a second. The Bears aren’t going anywhere with this guy. He may have been good at one time. He’s not anymore.

A change is needed. If Pace makes that call, and there’s reason to think he will, then he has to make sure it’s the right one this time.

John Fox Etches Bears Tombstone, Says Glennon Starts vs. Pittsburgh

By
Erik Lambert
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john fox
(Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune) Bears quarterback Mike Glennon slaps the ground after he is sacked by Falcons defensive end Brooks Reed on their last offensive play of the game.

John Fox is now most definitely in his final year as Chicago Bears head coach. The man has taken leave of his senses, going the route of apparent good friend Jeff Fisher. How so? He refuses to see reality at the quarterback position. Like Fisher he’s sticking by the veteran because he doesn’t think the rookie is ready. Problem is said veteran is playing so poorly it really doesn’t seem to matter. So will Fox make a switch from Mike Glennon?

Of course not.

People should really not be surprised by this. This is the same Fox who kept Kyle Orton in for a 1-4 start in Denver despite clear evidence he could not run the offense. Only a series of miracle finishes fueled by Tebowmania saved that season. The Bears may or may not have their Tebow in Mitch Trubisky, but his stubborn refusal to find out is likely what will get him fired. Maybe even before this season ends.

Chicago is 0-2 already. It’s the third-straight time that has happened under Fox. Odds are that will stretch to at least 0-4 with the Steelers next Sunday and then the Packers at Lambeau in a short week. In fact there is a very realistic possibility the Bears could careen to 0-8 going into the bye. That is how poorly Glennon has played.

One can imagine somebody is getting fired if that happens, and Fox was already under a ton of pressure going into this season. His death warrant may have been signed by letting this farce continue.

NFL Scout Predicts Bears Could Start WR Rebuild with a Trade

By
Erik Lambert
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chicago bears

Anybody who thinks it’s a secret by now has clearly lost touch with reality. The Chicago Bears wide receiver position is a mess. It’s like city right after an earthquaker or a carpet bombing. Still standing but utterly devastated. Since March the Bears have lost their three most productive targets at the position. Alshon Jeffery and Eddie Royal left via free agency. Cameron Meredith suffered a terrible knee injury.

On top of that Kevin White just had surgery to repair a fractured scapula. Markus Wheaton hasn’t returned from a broken finger. Even Kendall Wright left the Tampa game yesterday with an injury. That is a string of losses that goes beyond catastrophic straight to actually a little bit impressive. Bad luck like that is rare.

Nonetheless it’s obvious GM Ryan Pace has a real challenge on his hands. After Mike Glennon melted under that hot Florida sun, it’s clearer than ever that Mitch Trubisky is coming. He’s coming soon.

Bears wide receiver position may get jump-started by bold trade?

This puts Pace is a difficult position. No GM wants his prized QB draft pick to debut with scrubs at wide receiver. Sure maybe guys like Tanner Gentry and Tre McBride can turn into something but can anybody bank on that? If Wright and Wheaton miss next week, the starting wide outs for Chicago will be Gentry, Josh Bellamy and Deonte Thompson. All are former undrafted free agents. Not a high draft choice in sight.

With Jordan Howard nursing a shoulder injury, the Bears can’t rely on the run game either. Thus Pace, a man who saves his bold moves for the draft, may have to get a head start this year. Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune was asking scouts around the league about wide receivers in the 2018 college class. While most declared it’s too early to tell, one hinted that something else could happen soon.

“We’re going to get 80 to 90 juniors, maybe more. That’s the reality of it now. I haven’t got into the finished product yet. You’re calling me too early. The Bears? They’ve got guys hurt and they’re not good enough at wideout to start with. They’re pigeonholing themselves for the draft if they don’t trade for someone now or pick up a big-time free agent. My bet is they sign a free agent, maybe a big name, and draft one.”

The trade buzz has gone up and down for the past month. It’s not clear how close the Bears came to making any sort of move. There was buzz about them being interested in Allen Hurns but that was never corroborated by multiple sources. Nevertheless it’s more obvious than ever this is the only way short of waiting until next March that they get better at such a depleted position.

 A move depends on who’s available and what the cost is

Something to remember here. Chicago has seven picks in the 2018 draft including no third rounder and two fourth rounders. Given the state of the roster at present, giving away any picks may not sound prudent. However, if the talent and price get to the right levels a trade can often be a huge benefit even at such a cost.

Of course the question then becomes is there anybody out there worth monitoring? It’s still early in the season, but often the best thing to do is watch other teams that aren’t doing well. They tend to be the ones most willing to sell by the trade deadline. A few names to watch include:

  • Donte Moncrief (Indianapolis Colts)
  • Dontrelle Inman (Los Angeles Chargers)
  • Brandon Coleman (New Orleans Saints)

None of those names may stand out as stars but each brings some solid talent to the table. Definitely something to work with for Trubisky moving forward. That’s the best the Bears can hope for at this point.

These Quarterbacks Laugh At Idea of Limited Weapons Ruining Trubisky

By
Erik Lambert
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derek carr

“The Chicago Bears will ruin Mitch Trubisky if they play him now.” That’s a common quote that can be found regularly on Facebook, Twitter and other social media platforms. Even as the team crumbles with the completely ineffective Mike Glennon, people scream that it’s a terrible idea. No good can possibly come from starting the rookie now. The primary argument?

He doesn’t have enough weapons.

Look there’s no question the Bears receiving corps has been devastated by injuries. Cameron Meredith and Kevin White are already done for the year. Markus Wheaton still hasn’t returned from a broken finger and Kendall Wright left the Tampa Bay game yesterday with an injury too. It’s just not a pretty sight. That’s hard to argue.

At the same time the argument that not having enough weapons will ruin his development? It’s old, it’s tiresome and above all it’s completely unfounded.

“Ruin Mitch Trubisky” movement’s stance is not based on facts

Sure there have been plenty of star quarterbacks throughout history who got off to great starts. Much of that was being surrounded by great talent. Dak Prescott, Ben Roethlisberger and Philip Rivers immediate come to mind. However, for each one of them there are quite a few examples of stud QBs inheriting an absolute dumpster fire of an offense and, believe or not, powered through to become great anyway.

Don’t believe it? Here’s a short list of recognizable names and their totally forgettable top three receiving options they had their rookie seasons.

Derek Carr

  • Andre Holmes
  • James Jones
  • Mychal Rivera

Alex Smith

  • Brandon Lloyd
  • Arnaz Battle
  • Johnnie Morton

Drew Bledsoe

  • Ben Coates
  • Michael Timpson
  • Vincent Brisby

Phil Simms

  • Earnest Gray
  • Gary Shirk
  • Johnny Perkins

Terry Bradshaw

  • Ron Shanklin
  • Dave Smith
  • Dennis Hughes

Here’s what people forget. Great quarterbacks find a way to become great. It doesn’t matter how things start. Resiliency is hardwired into their DNA. They all believe if they just continue to work hard that eventually there will be a payoff. All of these men proved that to be true. Carr ended up getting Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree. Bradshaw got John Stallworth and Lynn Swann. Hell, Simms never had a Pro Bowl receiver once in his career and he still managed to win a Super Bowl MVP.

The point is a top quarterback, if that’s what Trubisky truly is, will find a way. If he’s the real deal then the odds are he’ll be around with the Bears for a decade or longer. That gives the organization more than enough time to build a proper stockpile of weapons.

Everything Terrible About Mike Glennon Is Summed Up on This Play

By
Erik Lambert
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mike glennon experiment

The Mike Glennon experiment is over. The wrong chemicals were mixed and the explosion destroyed the laboratory. If ever there was a team and a defense he could have success against, it would’ve been the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He’d been with them for four seasons, knew their schemes and personnel. It should’ve been a slam dunk. Instead he looked like, well, a backup quarterback playing with the big boys.

Sure he may have been the best option available in free agency, but the fact is that’s not saying much. The free agent crop of QBs is almost always terrible. Glennon was 5-13 as a starter. Nothing about his game stood out. In hindsight it’s rather laughable the Bears thought they could do any good with him in charge.

If ever people needed a play to clarify what makes him an average quarterback, it was this one late in the first quarter.

Mike Glennon experiment ended on a case blindness

The play is a simple three-step drop. Glennon is given two options on the play. Tight end Adam Shaheen goes into the flat while tight end Dion Sims runs a quick out. Glennon takes the snap and is staring directly at Shaheen based on the camera angle. The rookie tight end is quite literally wide open. If Glennon throws it to him with any sort of accuracy it’s at least a gain of 8-10 yards.

Instead the quarterback demonstrates his awful field vision and poor decision-making by forcing the ball to Sims who is surrounded by three Buccaneers defenders. The ball would’ve had to be pinpoint accurate in that situation. This is Glennon though, so the results were predictable.

That was a 14-point swing. Tampa Bay went down the field to score and from there the flood gates opened. John Fox quickly came to his quarterbacks’ defense afterwards, saying it was a team loss. Sure, but it all started because of a mind-numbingly bad throw by said quarterback.

This play should’ve been an absolute freebie. Dowell Loggains drew it up perfectly. Shaheen could’ve set them up first and goal. Instead Glennon went to who he’s more comfortable with rather than, you know, who was open. That is the mark of a quarterback who doesn’t belong on the field.

Fox insists no changes will be made for the Pittsburgh game next week. Whatever. That’s his choice. The ship is on fire and burning down around him. If he wishes to go down with it, fair enough.

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