Mitch Trubisky’s Saturday night in Denver ended on a sour note, but don’t let that distract you from the fact that he threw his first touchdown of the preseason:
Trubisky to Trey for the TD. pic.twitter.com/lfIEI0yply
— Bleacher Nation Bears (@BN_Bears) August 19, 2018
Things were going so well for Trubisky prior to the second quarter interception that ended his first extended preseason action of the summer. Before the pick, Trubisky had completed 9 of 13 passes for 90 yards and a touchdown. That’s a 69.2 percent completion rate, 6.92 yards per attempt, 7.69 TD%, and a 114.3 passer rating. That’s a nice night all around. Ending it with those numbers might have painted a different narrative than the one we’re wrapping our minds around today. And because the interception actually counts, Trubisky finished the night with a 76.5 passer rating, which otherwise wouldn’t be much to write home about.
So now that we’ve laid down the ground rules that the interception counts against Trubisky, let’s talk about it as a teachable moment.
INT on Trubisky or Cohen? You be the judge. #Bears pic.twitter.com/QtdwcClr3R
— Jake Perper (@BearsBacker) August 19, 2018
Trubisky should not have thrown that pass intended for Tarik Cohen. But if he’s gonna throw it, Trubisky needs to put the ball in a place where Cohen can keep the defender from getting his hands on the pass.
I suppose Cohen could have done a little more to bail out his quarterback, but (1) that’s a lot to ask and it almost feels unfair asking for it and (2) it’s a preseason game and it’s OK that mistakes happen. Repeated mistakes, however, should not be tolerated. Cohen probably could have completed his route better.
The other issue that has us feeling uneasy has to do with another botched snap. Trubisky will wear this one, as it was a catchable snap from Cody Whitehair that turned into a safety. But the mishandled snap represents another example of the disconnect between the quarterback and center. Clearly, Whitehair is working on cleaning up the issue that has plagued him. And Trubisky has publicly showed his support fo the third-year center. It’s not out of the realm of possibilities that Whitehair and Trubisky work things out, so let’s not rule it out. But it’s evident that this is something that still needs work leading into the regular season opener.
All things considered, the second-year quarterback looked better than what his final line would suggest. And he (and the rest of the first-team offense) got more work in Denver than in Cincinnati, which was good to see after a lethargic start that consisted of two drives and eight total plays. Progress was made, though more should be expected from Trubisky when he takes the field for the all-important Preseason Week 3 showdown against the Kansas City Chiefs.