Trubisky Flashes, Wright’s Feeling It, Ditka’s Not Buying It, Star Wars, Goodell, and Other Bullets

The first points of the Mitch Trubisky era came on a safety from a resurgent Leonard Floyd, the first touchdown pass came from a punter, and the first “WOW!” moment came on a piece of trickeration (Michael: not sure that’s actually a word, but I’ll allow it) that left Jon Gruden wishing he had it in his own playbook.

Over at the Chicago Tribune, Colleen Kane has a complete lists of firsts from Trubisky’s debut that we’ll be talking about for quite some time despite the outcome and relatively disappointing performance from the rookie signal caller.

  • Credit where it’s due: Head Coach John Fox and Offensive Coordinator Dowell Loggains nailed it with their statements during the layoff between Weeks 4 and 5. JJ Stankevitz of NBC Sports Chicago writes that Fox’s team assessment after Week 4 and Loggains’ prediction for Trubisky’s debut in Week 5 were proven correct on Monday. The Bears’ problems reached far beyond quarterback, as an uninspiring group of skill position players on the outside and a lack of depth showed up as issues in the team’s loss to the Minnesota Vikings.
  • And as it turns out, Trubisky isn’t a magic wand at the position as Loggains succinctly put it in his meeting with the press last week. For what it’s worth, I’ll still believe in magic even if the quarterback doesn’t have it … yet.
  • ESPN’s Jeff Dickerson writes Trubisky’s numbers weren’t impressive (because, duh, they weren’t), but his presence in the huddle, under center, in shotgun formation, rolling around the pocket, and elsewhere provide hope. Yes, Trubisky made some mistakes, but most were of the rookie quarterback variety. And in any case, he also made plays that Mike Glennon couldn’t make or wasn’t willing to try. There’s a bit of a difference between a rookie making miscues in his first start and a 28-year-old veteran making the same mistakes. The hope is that Trubisky learns from his mistakes and doesn’t make a habit of repeating them.
  • (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)

  • One start into his Bears career and he’s already winning over his teammates and coaches, writes Eric Edholm of Pro Football Weekly. “I think our guys feel it,” said Head Coach John Fox. “They feel his presence.” Even Harrison Smith, the Vikings safety who came away with the back-breaking interception, said he saw Trubisky’s skills on display and predicted “he’s going to be a player.”
  • John Mullin of NBC Sports Chicago writes there’s a certain buzz surrounding Trubisky’s debut. “I felt it,” said wide receiver Kendall Wright. “I think everybody felt it.” Wright, who emerged as Trubisky’s top target on Monday, seems to really embracing the change at quarterback.
  • Speaking of providing hope and feeling it, Star Wars released the trailer for The Last Jedi during halftime and I was extremely hyped:
  • There’s no denying the tension that has surrounded the NFL as protests of racial injustice and police brutality have gained greater notice in the 2017 season. But as 1985 Super Bowl winning head coach Mike Ditka sees it, well, that’s the thing … he doesn’t see it. The Chicago Sun-Times reports Ditka said he hasn’t seen any social injustice or oppression of any minority groups in the last 100 years an interview with Jim Gray of Westwood One radio, which was carrying the broadcast nationally. It’s a rather ignorant stance for Ditka to take, considering he was teammates with Gale Sayers and Brian Picolo on the 1966 Bears – two years after the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was passed.
  • Pro Football Talk’s Josh Alper has full details on NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell’s memo to the league’s 32 teams regarding the national anthem, which you’ll want to read for yourself. The league plans to discuss whether or not players must stand during the anthem, as Goodell says the league “must move past this controversy.”
  • written by

    Luis C. Medina, who you can find on Twitter at lcm1986, has been covering the Chicago Bears at Bleacher Nation since 2017. Since then, he has written about 3 head coaches, 5 play-callers, and 11 starting quarterbacks. Previously, Luis wrote about the Cubs and MLB at BN (2015-16) and worked in the Chicago Tribune sports department (2011-16). He also co-hosted a Cubs postgame show, Outside the Ivy, in 2019.

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