NEWSLETTER
Mitch Trubisky is preparing to make his preseason debut on Thursday against the Cincinnati, where we’ll hopefully get a chance to see him work with all of the team’s new offensive personnel.
Trubisky addressed a variety of things while meeting the media. That includes building relationships with receivers, the potential his legs can bring to the offense, what he works on every day after practice, and more. You can check out the interview in its entirety below …
… but first, we’ve grabbed some nuggets that are deserving of additional analysis and commentary.
On Building A Relationship with Allen Robinson
The Bears signing Robinson to a big-money deal in free agency will only work if he and Trubisky are able to build a bond on the field. If Trubisky and Robinson can’t make connections down the field, the offense (as a whole) will suffer. So leave it to the Bears to take the extra step in an attempt to ensure it happens. Trubisky noted that their lockers are next to each other and that the two will grab lunch and spend time together away from the practice field. I suppose every little bit helps.
“The more time we can spend together, the more trust we’re going to have on the field. And when you build that trust and that chemistry, it really just comes down to timing and me putting the ball in the right spot and him going up and doing what he does and making plays,” Trubisky said. “It’s really coming along real nice. We’re just becoming brothers, really. We’re building this family. Me, him, everyone else on offense, and when you have that trust it just comes down to execution, knowing what to do, and going out there and doing it and having the ability to do it.”
Trubisky Shares Some Love For Anthony Miller
Robinson isn’t the only Bears wideout that Trubisky seems to have an affinity for during camp. Trubisky sounds as if he is coming away impressed with rookie Anthony Miller. The second-round pick out of Memphis has quickly grown into a fan favorite, and Trubisky’s words will only help continue to build the hype around a budding star.
“Anthony comes out here working every day and he’s learning the offense and he’s doing a great job for a rookie,” Trubisky said. “He’s creating amazing separation. It makes it easy for me as a quarterback to get him the ball. We’re having a lot of fun and we’re building great relationships on and off the field, and it’s helping this offense.”
We’re not quite sure whether Robinson will get his first game action since tearing his ACL in the 2017 season-opener, but we feel like Miller could get a healthy share of snaps in his professional debut in Thursday’s preseason bout in Cincinnati. We already know Trubisky will play, though it’s uncertain how much at this time.
The Bond Between Trubisky and QBs Coach Dave Ragone Is Strong
Even though the Bears did their due diligence by browsing through candidates outside of the building, the team maintained continuity among the offensive coaching staff by bringing back Quarterbacks Coach Dave Ragone. In fact, Ragone is the one offensive position coach who returned from John Fox’s staff … and it sure seems like a heady move. Trubisky raved about the bond the two have that dates back to Trubisky’s rookie season.
“Great relationship. He knows me better than anyone in the building because we’ve spent so much time together,” Trubisky said. “He knows how I learn, knows what drives me, what gets me going, and he comes out here and pushes me every day and expects the best out of me. We’re pushing each other every day and he’s definitely made me better and I love learning from Coach Ragone.”
You don’t have to squint to see the value in keeping Ragone in the fold after overhauling the rest of the offensive staff. It’s probably no coincidence that all three of the Bears’ top offensive coaches – Ragone, Head Coach Matt Nagy, and Offensive Coordinator Mark Helfrich – each played the position at some point.
Born to Run
Trubisky’s athleticism and ability to make plays out of the pocket stood out during the pre-draft process, but it wasn’t displayed too often during his 12-game stint as a starter during his rookie season. Sure, we remember the moves on the trick play versus the Vikings, the mobility and elusiveness against the Ravens, and the overtime scramble that came before the loss against the Lions, but it’s easy for those to stand out when Trubisky wasn’t often deployed as a runner. However, it’s safe to say we expect that to change with the implementation of run-pass option plays.
“I think it’s just another option for the defense to account for,” Trubisky said. “I think me running the ball will help our running backs, help our receivers get open, and hopefully take some pressure off our o-line. Sometimes things break down and the defense gets a good blitz, but hopefully we’ll be able to overcome that if I can scramble and make a play. So you might have the perfect call on defense, but if I could scramble and make something happen, I think that’s just another great option for our offense. We’ll have some designed stuff and that’ll hopefully open up all the other playmakers down the road.”
But Let’s Not Forget The Deep Ball
In case you missed it, the Bears had the NFL’s worst deep passing game in 2017. But with a new coaching staff, a fresh philosophy, and different receivers to target, the belief is that will change in 2018. It’s not like Trubisky doesn’t throw a pretty deep ball (just ask Tarik Cohen or Josh Bellamy about that), it’s just that he didn’t throw it often enough. Things will be different this year, so it makes sense that Trubisky is going to additional lengths to make sure he gets his work in.
“That’s the one thing I practice after practice every day,” Trubisky said about his deep passing practice. “You can’t always get it throughout practice every day, so I’m making sure I’m getting those throws and repetitions.”
For what it’s worth, Trubisky posted a league-high Big-Time Throw Percentage (8.3%) and put up the NFL’s fourth-best deep throw rating (108.1), all while limiting turnover-worthy throws (3.1%). If Trubisky can excel throwing deep passes without many reps, it’s possible this aspect of his game could be a strength as he works on it during the preseason. After all, practice makes perfect.
