NEWSLETTER
Development isn’t always linear.
That’s something that I kept in mind while following the Chicago Cubs rebuild over at Bleacher Nation and is something that remains true as we cover the Chicago Bears’ rebuild here in the present. With that being said, first-year Offensive Coordinator Mark Helfrich recently served a harsh reminder of that very truth while recently meeting with the media.
“We’re nowhere – nowhere – near where we need to be,” Helfrich said, via Rich Campbell of the Chicago Tribune. Woof. And even though Helfrich did say things were trending in the right direction, his strong words allow us to pump the brakes on the hype machine – if only for a moment (Michael: NOOOOO. I want moar hype).
Mitch Trubisky has thrown a bunch of interceptions during the opening weeks of training camp, but that’s actually a good thing if you ask us (or, at least, not entirely a bad thing). There’s nothing wrong with developing a risk calculus in the low-pressure environment that training camp provides. It sure beats throwing a ton of picks during games that actually matter in the standings. Helfrich said some of the picks have been his fault. And while others do not fall into that category, it’s fair to say that the quarterback always takes the heat for interceptions. That’s just how it goes, as the old adage of “to whom much is given, much is expected” rings true when it comes to quarterback play.
And while the arrow could very well be pointing in the right direction for the second-year quarterback working in his third offense is as many years, it’s still evident that Helfrich believes Trubisky has a lot of work to do before he gets where he needs to be. Trubisky likely won’t play in tonight’s Hall of Fame Game, but his time will come soon. Hopefully, so will the necessary improvements.
