It’s back to the drawing board for Chicago Bears quarterback Mitch Trubisky, whose three-interception performance against the Los Angeles Rams was the lone blemish on what was otherwise a statement victory for the team on Sunday night.
And while I found myself searching for answers after Trubisky’s most recent not-so-primetime showing under the lights, it’s good to know QB1 seems to have it figured out:
#Bears QB Mitchell Trubisky on most important area he wants to improve on from his performance vs. Rams: "I think I was rushing my footwork, antsy to get the ball out."
— Larry Mayer (@LarryMayer) December 12, 2018
Thanks to the three interceptions, Trubisky’s struggles with footwork, mechanics, and timing were quite evident. His left foot placement, in particular, seemed to stand out (in a bad way) the most. Frankly, the interceptions were tough to watch from my perch in section 349, because it *looked* like Trubisky was making good reads to find open receivers on two interceptions – he simply air-mailed his target twice. The third was an under-throw that was also a direct result of shoddy footwork.
Perhaps Trubisky’s issues were rust related. I mean, he did just go through a lengthy layoff because of a shoulder injury and has often talked about his need need for multiple reps to get into a rhythm. But still, Trubisky wasn’t interested in making excuses. Not only is that honorable, it’s what you expect to hear from a leader.
Trubisky has been his own harshest critic since being named the starter last season and it continues to this day. I can’t help but appreciate his honesty and accountability when addressing his short-comings and mistakes. Those are good traits to have when you’re a quarterback – the only way to get better is to acknowledge your weaknesses and attack them.
So here’s the bad news: We’re still talking about Trubisky’s mechanical issues 23 starts into his career and it is a bit troubling. Development isn’t necessarily linear, but there will come a point soon where we shouldn’t be highlighting mechanical deficiencies of a player who was the first quarterback taken off the board in the 2017 NFL Draft. I don’t necessarily know when that point will be, but I think we can all agree we’ll know it when we see it. (Michael: I totally agree with Luis, but I will say, as much as he doesn’t want to admit “rust” was a factor … it probably was).
On the other hand, the good news is that we have seen Trubisky clean things up after publicly addressing them before. Trubisky has also taken well to the Bears’ coaching, which had resulted in improved numbers across the board before Sunday’s showing against the Rams. Players who work hard, soak in knowledge, and can apply it are tough to bet against. This is where having intangibles can come into play when it comes to player development.