NEWSLETTER
Mitch Trubisky’s performance against the Detroit Lions in Week 11 didn’t quite stack up to his 297-yard game against the Green Bay Packers the week prior, but it’s hard not to be encouraged by what the rookie QB has shown since the bye.
In his postgame comments, Trubisky shared his feelings regarding his progression, but they come with an interesting caveat:
“I feel like they trust me,” Trubisky said, via Adam Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times. “I know coach Dowell Loggains trusts me a lot with just how far I’ve progressed — and what coach Fox is allowing us to do on offense. We just got to keep getting better each week. I feel like I have.”
That’s all well and good, but did you catch the most important line? “… and what coach Fox is allowing us to do on offense.”
I can’t help but pause when Trubisky, himself, offers the qualifier of what his coach allows the offense to do – as if to say the shackles are loose, but not quite completely off just yet.
Maybe it’s by design or perhaps it’s out of necessity, but the Chicago Bears have started to open up the offense for the No. 2 overall pick, and the results have been far better. The offense has participated in more pass snaps (76) than runs (47) and incorporated plays out of the pistol formation, as well as a few zone-read option runs that put Trubisky in a familiar (and successful) place. The Bears have started to give Trubisky a little bit more rope since emerging from the bye week, throwing 65 passes in two games after throwing 55 in three games leading into the break. In turn, Trubisky hasn’t thrown an interception and has limited his mistakes to one fumble in the last 123 snaps.
This is a stark change from an offense that was on the field for more run snaps (134) than pass (112) in Trubisky’s first four games.
To be sure, his accuracy still leaves something to be desired, as does his decision-making when facing pressure, but Trubisky is showing big signs of progress and it starts with getting more opportunities to show off what he can do.
