Mitchell Trubisky Shines in Preseason Debut Despite Bears' Loss to Broncos

The Mitchell Trubisky era is officially underway for the Chicago Bears.

While the Denver Broncos emerged from Thursday's preseason opener at Soldier Field with a 24-17 victory, Trubisky was the primary storyline. The rookie quarterback directed scoring drives on his first three possessions and overcame an early double-digit deficit before a 47-yard touchdown pass from Kyle Sloter and a 41-yard touchdown run from De'Angelo Henderson in the fourth quarter gave Denver the win.

While Henderson and Sloter would have been heroes in a regular-season contest, their late scores and the game result took a back seat to the respective quarterback battles in preseason action—and Trubisky stole the show.

The Bears haven't been to playoffs since the 2010 season and transformed their quarterback depth chart this offseason by signing Mike Glennon and drafting Trubisky with the No. 2 overall pick.

As for the Broncos, they saw their streak of five straight playoff appearances end in 2016, largely because they finished a measly 21st in the league in passing yards per game. Trevor Siemian was the primary signal-caller, but 2016 first-round pick Paxton Lynch appeared in three games.

Trubisky was the best of the four Thursday and finished with 166 passing yards, 38 rushing yards and a touchdown pass. He appeared comfortable standing in the pocket and delivering downfield or escaping pressure and creating additional opportunities with his feet.

There was a notable buzz in the Soldier Field crowd when he took the field trailing 10-0, and he rewarded the home fans with a touchdown pass to Victor Cruz on his first possession.

The duo caught the attention of other notable athletes in the process:

Trubisky marched Chicago down the field again on his next possession with a 12-play touchdown drive to give the Bears the lead. Benny Cunningham scored from a yard out, but it was Trubisky who turned heads.

Chris Bleck of ESPN Chicago and Mike Berman of NBC Chicago leaned Trubisky's way when comparing him to Glennon:

Despite the North Carolina product's impressive showing, his heave into the end zone on the game's final play fell incomplete, clinching the win for Denver.

Trubisky may have taken two steps forward in the quarterback race Thursday because Glennon promptly threw a pick-six into the waiting arms of Chris Harris Jr. on the opening possession of the game.

Things could only go up in theory for the Bears starter, but a high snap sailed over his head on the team's third possession for another turnover. In all, Glennon failed to create any points and went 2-of-8 for 20 yards.

Cecil Hurt of the Tuscaloosa News summarized his outing:

On Denver's side, Siemian drew the start but managed to lead the team to just one field goal on three possessions. He posted a solid 51 passing yards on 6-of-7 throwing but wasn't able to consistently stretch the field vertically.

The pattern of Denver's starting defense carrying the team with Siemian on the field likely looked familiar to Broncos fans after last year.

Lynch wasn't much better for the Broncos and finished 6-of-9 for 42 yards. While neither Broncos quarterback turned the ball over, they also didn't make the types of plays they will need to compete in the loaded AFC West this season after finishing in third in 2016.

Andrew Mason of the Broncos' official website pointed out the quarterbacks weren't the only issue for the visitors:

While Siemian and Lynch struggled against Chicago's defense, the third-stringer Sloter threw the best individual pass for Denver and connected with Isaiah McKenzie for the 47-yard touchdown. The ensuing extra point tied the game, and Henderson's long run in the last two minutes was the difference.

Both teams will be in action again on Aug. 19 when the Bears take on the Arizona Cardinals and the Broncos face the San Francisco 49ers.