After appearing to make progress in his development, Mitch Trubisky took a step back against the Philadelphia Eagles. His regression game might have some worried about which way his arrow is pointing entering Sunday’s game against the San Francisco 49ers, but don’t count WGN’s Adam Hoge among them.
Hoge writes opinions regarding Trubisky shouldn’t have changed because of the loss to the NFC’s best team, citing poor receiver play, a struggling rushing attack, and play calling he described as “suspect.” The Eagles’ scheme forced Trubisky to beat them with no outside weapons, an offensive line without its best starter, and a running game that finished with -6 yards from the running backs.
Trubisky struggled, but I feel as if we’ll get a better feel for who he is as a quarterback with how he responds against the 49ers.
Trubisky’s issues against Philadelphia stemmed from poor mechanics that led to a stress-inducing stat line that has people in a panic. In his film review, ESPN’s Jeff Dickerson highlights technique as part of Trubisky’s Week 12 problems. He also discussed issues with Matt Bowen, a former NFL safety, current ESPN analyst, and high school assistant for a two-time state champion. Trubisky has a lot on his plate, but this is why it was valuable to get him experience now so he goes into the offseason knowing what he needs to work on.
Perhaps Trubisky can learn a thing or two from the quarterback wearing No. 10 on the opposite sideline. Adam Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times highlights things Trubisky can glean from 49ers signal caller Jimmy Garoppolo, who is making his first start since being acquired before the NFL’s October 31 trading deadline. Garoppolo had 3-1/2 years fine-tuning his craft under the watchful eye of the Patriots and with a private quarterback coach to get to this point in his career. Trubisky spoke about how he planned to fix his mechanics (specifically his footwork) when meeting the media this week. Knowledge is power, but it is nothing without application. Hopefully, Trubisky can do a little bit of both as this season winds down.
Also in Jahns’ piece is an anecdote regarding New York Giants cornerback Eli Apple. You might remember Apple as the player chosen 10th overall – one spot after the Bears selected Leonard Floyd. Jahns writes Apple has become a controversial figure in New York. The Giants had to scramble to pick Apple when their two top choices went off the board to the Titans (OT Jack Conklin) and Bears (Floyd). Apple’s experience in New York should serve as a reminder that fortune favors the bold and that being aggressive in picking the player you want tends to create more favorable outcomes than hoping he drops into your lap.
Reminder: The Bears traded up for Trubisky. Hopefully, that is one of those cases where the juice is worth the squeeze in trading up.
Youth and inexperience, be damned. Trubisky finds himself in a leadership role entering Week 13 of his first NFL season. Bob LeGere of the Daily Herald writes Trubisky is embracing one of the most difficult parts of a quarterback’s job. “Everyone’s looking toward you,” Trubisky said. “They’re all seeing how you reac,t and I love that because I feel like I know how to handle these situations. I still have all the confidence in the world in my guys that we can turn this around (against the 49ers), and we can really go on a run.” Saying the right things isn’t easy, but at least Trubisky has a grasp of how to do it.
Rick Morrissey of the Chicago Sun-Times hopes Trubisky gets a chance to do the other very difficult part of being a quarterback – and that’s throw the ball. “[T]his game isn’t about jettisoning a head coach. Nor is it necessarily about winning or losing,” Morrissey writes. “It’s about Trubisky coming away with 300 passing yards, two touchdowns, and a completion percentage above 60, none of which he has been able to do this season.”
Here lies the Catch-22 the Bears coaching staff has at its feet. Every coach’s goal is to win that day’s game. Full stop. However, the big picture goal should be to develop the most important player at the most important position. A game against a 1-10 team the Bears should beat presents a conflict of what the Bears should do and what they (probably) will do. If history is any indication, Fox and the Bears will get off the bus running and limit Trubisky’s throws in an attempt to keep him from making game-losing mistakes.
It begs the question whether or not this coaching staff can properly develop a quarterback when the team is openly limiting his chances to make throws and refine his footwork in game situations. In Trubisky’s two wins, he attempted a grand total of 23 passes. He has averaged 32 attempts per game (mostly out of necessity because the team was trailing) since.
I’m sure I’d feel better about Trubisky throwing it 30 times per game if Alshon Jeffery was one of his receivers. Alas, it wasn’t meant to be … and it won’t be any time soon. Jeffery signed a four-year extension with the Philadelphia Eagles on Saturday.
What would a win mean to Bears pass rusher Pernell McPhee? Well, let McPhee explain in his own colorful language:
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