NEWSLETTER
I was already planning for a busy day here when the Khalil Mack news broke early Saturday morning, but it’s not difficult to imagine many others were sleeping in on a what would have otherwise been an easy morning to sleep through.
Chicago Bears quarterback Mitch Trubisky wasn’t one of the lucky ones who was able to sleep in:
Mitch Trubisky said his mom woke him up with the Khalil Mack news Sat. He didn't believe it at first, texted Ryan Pace to see if it was true. "I was like I’m not going to believe this until I know for sure that it’s true. Those type of players don’t come along very often."
— Colleen Kane (@ChiTribKane) September 5, 2018
Trubisky had more to say about various subjects as he approaches what will hopefully be the first of many Week 1 starts under center (I suppose a shotgun formation reference might be more apt here) for the Bears. Here are some of the highlights, as well as some additional commentary.
The Mack Factor
Mack’s name certainly carries a certain weight, but Trubisky made sure to note how Mack carries himself in the locker room. Trubisky described Mack as an “alpha” and that top-dog mentality could be something that trickles down to the rest of the team.
“You can tell he’s about his business. He’s here, he’s ready to work. Not much needs to be said. You can tell from people’s actions. That’s what we’re trying to get to as a team. Just stop talking about it and just be about it. Go out there, execute, and make great plays.”
I imagine it’s easy to have an extra pep in your step when you don’t have to worry about Mack getting at you on Sundays.
With Week 1 Rapidly Approaching, Does Trubisky Have a Grasp on the Offense?
Trubisky (and the first unit as a whole) played sparingly during the preseason, which opens up a line of questions regarding if the group is ready for prime time. It’s fair to wonder whether or not the Bears’ first-team offense could have used a few additional preseason game reps to better prepare for the regular season, but it’s also understandable why Head Coach Matt Nagy chose to emphasize practice reps in an attempt to focus on getting a feel for the offense and each player’s responsibilities within it. But still … the question remains whether or not Trubisky has the necessary grasp of the offense yet?
“I have a really good idea of what this offense looks like, where we’re at, and how we need to go about our business and execute our plays. The mystery is what they’re going to run on defense. I’m sure they haven’t shown a bunch in the preseason, but we know what the defensive coordinator has done in the past, so you just try to be prepared as much as possible and then go out there and expect to execute your plays correctly and make the defense adjust to us.”
That’s a more mature answer than what you might expect from a second-year quarterback. Hearing Trubisky talk about how the plan is to force Green Bay into adjusting to the Bears offense is a complete 180-degree turn than the team’s old offensive philosophy of allowing the defense to dictate things. That’s certainly refreshing, to say the least.
Who’s Ready for the Un-scouted Looks?
As Nagy pointed out, each of the NFL’s 32 teams will throw things into the game plan for Week 1 that their opponent has never seen them do before. Remember when the Dolphins unleashed the Wildcat to knock off the Patriots in an epic upset in 2008? Heck, remember when the Bears did it to the Falcons last year? Fun times. I don’t know if the Bears have any Wildcat (Wild Bear?) stuff in their back pocket, but Trubisky sounds ready for whatever lies ahead.
“I feel good about it because they have stuff that we haven’t seen, but we also have stuff they haven’t seen. That’s the mystery heading into Week 1 and you just hope those plays you’ve been saving end up to be big plays and just help this offense just roll down the field.”
Eager with Anticipation for a “Special” Night
You couldn’t script it any better. The Packers are the standard in the NFC North by which all other teams in the division are judged. The Bears are a group of up-starts embarking on a new era under a new head coach, a young quarterback, and a clean slate. It’s the stuff dreams are made of, and Trubisky is about to live it.
“It’s got to be special. You know the history of the rivalry and it’s a great opportunity on Sunday night. As a kid, you dream of these opportunities to go into a special field like Soldier or Lambeau and play in a rival like this. It’s definitely special, but no more added pressure or expectations besides going out there and doing our jobs. But it’s going to be a special night and it creates a great opportunity for this team.”
You can watch the Trubisky’s entire press conference here:
