Pompei: Observations From Bears-Broncos
By Dan Pompei--
(CBS) Tomorrow can have a funny way of sneaking up on you. No one can be sure if that is what's happening with rookie quarterback Mitchell Trubisky and the Bears, but his performance against the Broncos certainly has created a buzz. If nothing else, the Bears' first-round pick is going to be great for preseason television ratings, Internet traffic, sports radio listenership and newspaper sales.
Here are my observations of Bears-Broncos.
1. Trubisky has presence. That isn't something that's developed or coached. It's either inherent in a player or it's not. The game is not too big for him.
2. It also appears he's a gamer — a player who performs better when it counts than on the practice field.
3. Everyone thinks they know what Mike Glennon's best can be. Nobody has any idea what Trubisky's best can be.
4. Bears coach John Fox is right to keep the quarterback depth chart as it is. But if Trubisky plays the way he did Thursday night throughout the preseason and against NFL starters, then that's a different deal. In that case, he probably should be the starter on opening day.
5. For now, Trubisky should be elevated to No. 2 behind Glennon. He should be given more reps with and against better players.
6. Offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains did a nice job of making the reads easy for Trubisky, and playing to his strengths. That would have been more difficult if the opponent was game planning, however.
7. That was the easiest test Trubisky probably ever will have in the NFL. The preseason is not the NFL.
8. A little perspective: Connor Shaw was the Bears' best quarterback in preseason a year ago. Three years ago, Shaw was the best quarterback in the entire league in preseason with a 155.8 passer rating.
9. First-team offense: worse than expected. First-team defense: better than expected.
10. You don't go from Jay Cutler and Alshon Jeffery to Glennon and Kendall Wright and expect to have a better first-string offense.
11. Tarik Cohen keeps passing every test, but one question we have is whether he can pass protect. If he can, he should be able to make a strong contribution as a situational back.
12. Given how Ka'Deem Carey and Benny Cunningham are performing, the Bears have a surplus at the running back position.
13. Edge rusher Leonard Floyd keeps getting better every time we see him. I had doubts about Floyd, but he's making me a believer.
14. The new and improved Bears secondary didn't have a takeaway and wasn't credited with a single pass breakup. The Bears allowed Broncos quarterbacks to complete 77 percent of their pass attempts. This remains a major issue.
15. And finally, what did it mean to be the best quarterback between the Bears and Broncos, anyway?
Dan Pompei has been covering the NFL since 1985 and is a regular contributor to 670 The Score and a host on 670's Bears pregame show. He writes for Bleacher Report and theathletic.com. You can follow him on Twitter @Dan Pompei.
