Did the Chicago Bears sign Mike Glennon to a big free agent contract to sit on the bench, or did they trade up to draft Mitchell Trubisky with the second overall pick to hold a clipboard for the entire season? We think it was the latter, but the way the two have played this preseason, the “C” word is being tossed around Chicago. Glennon will have a chance to solidify his precarious spot as the Bears starting quarterback when they take on the Tennessee Titans in a Week 3 matchup.
This matchup in Week 3 of the preseason will go down Sunday, August 27, 2017, at 1 p.m. ET at Nissan Stadium. The game will be televised live on FOX.
Opening NFL Odds at BookMaker.eu
Chicago Bears +3
Tennessee Titans -3
Over/Under 43.5
Odds Analysis
Oddsmakers set a basic line for this one with the Titans giving the standard 3-points for home field advantage. The total was jacked up for this one, going over 40.5 for either side for the first time this preseason. With starters expected to play into the second half, more offense is expected.
Quarterback Rotation
The Bears continue to say Mike Glennon is their starter despite another shaky outing last week in Arizona. Mitchell Trubisky has played well enough to cause a stir, but John Fox wants his prized rookie to not feel any pressure as he learns the league and the offense. Let’s not forget that Trubisky was the starter at North Carolina for only one season before entering the draft this year.
Glennon was a bit better last week, but he tossed another costly interception and should have had another offering picked off. He completed 13 of 18 attempts for 89 yards and had his first touchdown pass of the preseason. He will get the start on Sunday, but Fox didn’t rule out the possibility of Trubisky getting first-team snaps against the Titans. Trubisky entered last week’s game late in the third quarter and hit on 6 of 8 passes for 60 yards and a touchdown.
Mike Mularkey is preparing for Sunday’s game just like he would a regular season contest. And he expects his starters to play the entire first half and maybe longer. That means we’ll see a lot more of Marcus Mariota than what we saw in the first two games. Mariota played one series in the opener and directed the team for two series last week.
Mariota was an efficient 6 of 8 for 61 yards and a touchdown, leaving the game after staking the Titans to a 10-0 lead. The battle for the backup job will continue with Matt Cassel back. He played for the first time last week going 8 of 13 for 88 yards. Alex Tanney will also get some snaps.
Coaching History
In every season Fox made the playoffs, his teams produced at least a .500 record during the preseason. The Bears struggled last year, going 1-3 in the preseason and winning just three times during the regular year. The Week 3 game is the best judge of how a team will do and the Bears are 0-2 SU and ATS in the dress rehearsal under Fox with both coming on the road.
Mularkey laid into his Titans after a lackluster effort in their preseason opening loss to the Jets. Just like the team did all last year, they responded with an inspired outing last week in a win over the Panthers. In his second preseason with the Titans, Mularkey 4-2 SU and ATS and overall he’s 10-8 SU and 11-7 ATS.
Free ATS Pick
If Glennon isn’t looking over his shoulder he better start. Glennon was named the starter the day he signed with the Bears, but I doubt he thought the club would turn around and draft Trubisky. Either way it will make for healthy competition and the club should be better at the position after moving on from Jay Cutler.
The Bears have assembled a quality defense under coordinator Vic Fangio and if the secondary can hold up it could be one of the best in the NFL. The pass rush was on display last week in Arizona and Mariota will face pressure against the athletic group.
The Titans know what they have in the run game and will work to get their young receivers in sync with Mariota, who has played just three series this preseason. That is the Bears weakness and a few connections prove to be the difference.
NFL Odds: Titans 27, Bears 22
BookMaker offers play-by-play betting odds for live sporting events every day! The user-friendly wagering interface on your smartphone provides an easy way to place bets on the go. Mobile betting lines are updated by the minute, so click here to start gambling on thrilling live action at BookMaker Sportsbook! This matchup in Week 3 of the preseason will go down Sunday, August 27, 2017, at 1 p.m. ET at Nissan Stadium. The game will be televised live on FOX.
