NEWSLETTER
There’s no way to sugar-coat this, so here goes nothing: Mitch Trubisky played an awful, no-good, stinker of a game on Sunday against the Philadelphia Eagles. And yet, Trubisky still has a believer in FOX analyst Charles Davis (and, you know, us!).
With 1:37 remaining in the third quarter and Trubisky walking off the field after another failed drive, Davis chimed in on the upside possessed by the Bears’ rookie quarterback.
“I just think this young man is going through that education of being a quarterback,” Davis explained. “It’s a tough slot for him. But he’s got the makeup. You can see he’s got the poise out there. When they start surrounding him with better talent and guys he can throw to downfield, you’re going to see him take a leap. I would not be surprised to see him take a big leap next year, similar to what Carson Wentz has done this year. If they give him those weapons around him.”
Eagles head coach Doug Pederson echoed those sentiments earlier in the week, noting the striking similarities between what he witnessed Carson Wentz go through last season as a rookie and what Trubisky is currently fighting through after seven starts with the Bears.
Trubisky completed just 17 of 33 passes for 147 yards and two interceptions yesterday, and it all adds up to a wretched 38.3 passer rating – the lowest for a Bears starting QB in the John Fox era. In fact, Trubisky now has the two lowest scoring passer rated games for a Bears signal caller since the start of the 2015 season, as Sunday’s performance bypassed his 46.9 showing against the New Orleans Saints in Week 8.
Trubisky still has some kinks to work out in his game. For example, his footwork and mechanical breakdowns have led to a decrease in accuracy and increase in passes that have sailed high and/or wide. Developmental issues aside, the Bears should do everything in their power to upgrade the offensive weaponry around him.
There isn’t an area right now where Trubisky doesn’t need help. Hence, getting him reps and experience to work through his problems now can be very valuable for a team not playing for much else after clinching its fifth consecutive non-winning season.
