TAMPA — Mike Glennon practiced against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ first-team defense in 2016, so he has an idea of what second-year defensive coordinator Mike Smith may throw at the Bears offense on Sunday.
What Glennon saw last year won’t be exactly what he’ll see at Raymond James Stadium this weekend, of course. But the concepts and key personnel — like defensive tackle Gerald McCoy and cornerback Brent Grimes — remain the same.
“It’s little different when you break them down and start game-planning them than when you’re just going against them in practice,” Glennon said. “A lot of things look familiar, but they haven’t played a game yet so I have to be prepared for anything.”
This will be Glennon’s second start since the Buccaneers selected Jameis Winston with the first pick of the 2015 draft, so any edge he can get is important. He had one last week in facing an Atlanta Falcons team he was familiar with and did everything the Bears asked of him, for what it’s worth.
Sunday, too, will mean a little more to Glennon as he returns to face the team that gave him his start in the NFL in 2013.
“Obviously it counts the same, but it’s against the place I was for the past four years,” Glennon said. “(I have) a lot of friends, familiar faces on the other side, so I think it’s just human nature to be looking forward to this a little more just because of going against my former team.”
A positive step for Kyle Fuller
NFL
Back in April, declining Kyle Fuller’s fifth-year option was a no-brainer decision after the 2014 first-round pick didn’t play at all in 2016. But Fuller, now an impending free agent, could give the Bears something to think about next spring if how he played against Atlanta is any indication.
Fuller and Marcus Cooper teamed up to limit Julio Jones to just four catches on five targets, and defensive coordinator Vic Fangio came away impressed with how the 6-foot cornerback played.
“I was pleased with the way Kyle played overall,” Fangio said. “There's obviously some plays he'd like to do over and play them a little better, but overall I thought he did a good job. I like where he's at right now.”
What the Bears do with Fuller when Prince Amukamara (ankle) makes his season debut is an interesting question. The prevailing thought when Fuller was drafted was that he had ideal size to be a slot corner, but Fangio didn’t use him there in 2015. Perhaps he forces his way on to the field at that position — over Bryce Callahan and Cre’von LeBlanc — with a solid showing against Tampa Bay receivers Mike Evans and DeSean Jackson this weekend. At the least, cornerback is looking like a potential position of depth going forward.
Rooting for rookies
Mitchell Trubisky caught the highlights of Thursday night’s Houston Texans-Cincinnati Bengals slog, which arguably only had one impressive offensive play — DeShaun Watson’s 49-yard touchdown run. Between Watson and second-round pick DeShone Kizer (who looked solid even in Cleveland’s loss last weekend), the 2017 rookie class of quarterbacks is off to a decent start.
On top of that, Trubisky and Kansas City first-round pick Patrick Mahomes both turned heads during preseason play. So maybe this year’s quarterback class won’t pale in comparison to the Sam Darnold-Josh Rosen-Josh Allen trio expected to headline the 2018 NFL Draft?
“They said our rookie class was going to be weak as quarterbacks, so I like to see those guys succeed,” Trubisky said. “Hopefully I can have some success in the future as well. I’m never rooting against guys. Always hoping for the best and the best for myself as well. It is kind of cool to see that, especially guys that you get to know throughout the process.”
Captain Compton
Wrapping up from last weekend, if you were wondering why Josh Sitton — who was voted a 2017 captain by his teammates — wasn’t at midfield for the coin toss in Week 1, coach John Fox provided an answer: He gave that role to Tom Compton, who started at right guard in place of Kyle Long and [played for Atlanta].
“We wanted to let Tom go out as an extra captain, he had played in Atlanta so it was a good gesture on Josh's part,” Fox said. “He cleared it with me, I always have to announce to the officials who the captains are out there for the coin toss so we made that change before the game.”
The last word with Tarik Cohen
On the Friday before the Bears’ season opener, Jordan Howard, Benny Cunningham and Tarik Cohen sang “Take Me Out To The Ballgame” during the seventh inning stretch at Wrigley Field. Apparently, some people thought the trio was off-key, which Cohen said wasn’t his fault.
“Not everyone has an ear for talent like I do,” Cohen quipped. “Some people said I couldn't sing — I don't think they were listening to the right person. They probably heard Benny or Jordan. My singing was excellent."