The Mitch Trubisky Experience was on full display in the Chicago Bears’ 20-17 loss against the Minnesota Vikings on Monday Night Football.
There were some things to dream on and others you hope to never see again (some which we discussed here earlier). And sometimes, the line between the two was blurred.
Take this costly fourth-quarter interception for example:
.@HarriSmith22 intercepts Trubisky!
HUGE INT for the @Vikings. #SKOL #MINvsCHI https://t.co/Iqwo1atMQQ
— NFL (@NFL) October 10, 2017
Let’s break this down for a moment. The play falls apart almost immediately, forcing Trubisky to improvise – which he does, at first, quite well. Trubisky’s athleticism and mobility will be an important factor for the offense moving forward and was on full display during this play. Anyway, back to the action: The rookie rolls right, creating new (and clear) throwing lanes and windows on the outside.
Unfortunately, the combination of his ability to keep a play alive, a bit of overconfidence, and trust in his arm led to a pass that was all too easily intercepted. There’s a risk-reward scale on every play, and Trubisky’s scale will have its extremes precisely because of his talent and athleticism. While the interception was a less-than-ideal outcome, it’s the kind of thing that can be a teachable moment for a young quarterback.
“I was trying to do too much outside of what I need to do,” Trubisky explained to the Chicago Tribune’s Rich Campbell. “Just know the situation. Know it’s first down. Throw the ball away. I just forced one.”
To be fair, this was an excellent defensive play by Harrison Smith, just look where he starts and how much ground he covers while keeping up with the tight end:
Mitch Trubisky owned up to his back-breaking pick, which is something we'll discuss in short order. pic.twitter.com/zxQK8zcSH9
— Bleacher Nation Bears (@BN_Bears) October 10, 2017
Make no mistake, Trubisky makes that throw in college, turns it into a first down, and keeps the drive moving. On campus, you can make that throw and believe you can make it again and again. In fact, Trubisky made a very similar throw to the same target and it resulted in a touchdown.
Let’s re-visit his touchdown toss to tight end Zach Miller:
https://twitter.com/BovadaLV/status/917586260469997573
This is NOT how I expected Mitch Trubisky's first TD throw to look. pic.twitter.com/8nhQC4Dfzd
— Bleacher Nation Bears (@BN_Bears) October 10, 2017
Once again, the play starts with Trubisky rolling right – though this time it’s by design of the play action bootleg. As he did on the later interception, Trubisky directs traffic while simultaneously extending the play. He throws across his body, against the grain to an open Miller. But on this throw, Trubisky was successful despite waiting a split-second too late to launch the throw. It almost cost him as the pass was tipped, but ultimately not intercepted. Luckily, Miller was in the right place at the right time.
During the preseason, we saw Trubisky make plays down the field with his arm by getting things started with creating on the run. But the difference between the competition in preseason and regular season is, well, Andrew Sendejo’s ability to quickly react and make a play on the ball. Teachable moments like this simply can’t be replicated in practice or while out with the scout team.
So while the Bears didn’t come away with a win, success will come down the line if Trubisky learns from his mistakes, moves on, and makes better decisions moving forward.