This Is a Mitch Trubisky Appreciation Post (With Other Bullets)

Every time I step into Portillo’s, I think to myself that it’s the day I try something different. But every time I step to the counter to make an order, I get the same Italian beef with sweet peppers, a small order of fries, and a chocolate cake shake. One day will be different. It just wasn’t yesterday (Michael: DUDE. Same exact problem. I switch between the beef, the burger, and the hot dog, but there’s so much goodness on that menu that goes un-tried).

Bullets …

  • The swaggiest quarterback in the land turns 25 today:
  • https://www.instagram.com/p/B1YzTzVg65j/

  • Mitch Trubisky’s age 24 season was a successful one that featured a division championship, statistical improvements across the board, and a Pro Bowl appearance. Those represent major strides made from his rookie season under John Fox to his second season as a pro while under the tutelage of Matt Nagy. If I had all those things going for me, I’d be swagged out, too.
  • This is wild: Trubisky’s 95.4 passer rating was the third best single-season rating in franchise history. Bears history isn’t loaded with successful quarterbacking stories, but Trubisky’s 2018 made waves for all the right reasons. I can’t wait to see what he has as an encore.
  • It won’t take much for Trubisky to put up the best age 25 season for a quarterback in Bears history. Since the merger in 1970, Jim McMahon’s 1984 season stands as the gold standard. McMahon started nine games in his age 25 season, completed 59.4 percent of his passes, threw for 1,146 yards, 8 touchdowns, 2 interceptions, and posted a 97.8 passer rating. Extrapolate those numbers over a full 16-game season and they come out to 2,037 yards, 14 touchdowns, 3 interceptions. Those numbers won’t be hard to surpass, but if Mitch Trubisky can throw touchdowns at a 5.6 percent clip while limiting interceptions to a 1.4 percent rate, then he will have had an outstanding year.
  • Speaking of interceptions, Trubisky has one of the most impressive interception-free streaks going:
  • Trubisky was nails after his three-interception performance against the Rams. Over his final three games, Trubisky completed 75.9 percent of his passes, averaged 215 yards per game, threw three touchdowns, and posted a 109.7 passer rating. On a per-16 game pace, Trubisky would throw for 3,435 passing yards and 16 touchdowns. That’s neat, but the 7.8 yards per attempt (and 8.5 average net yards per attempt) could be better. Because even at age 25, Trubisky could stand to improve in several aspects of his game.
  • Moving forward, it’s reassuring to know that Trubisky’s top targets have good hands:
  • Between an impressive interception-free streak and having quality pass-catchers with reliable hands, Trubisky is well-positioned for a storybook season.
  • It’s preseason for all of us. And much like the players and coaches, yours truly is trying to work out the kinks and smooth things out ahead of the season. I mention this because it took me five days to stumble across this video, in which Nagy confirms Trubisky has the “keys to the car” and a green light to go:
  • There are just Pat O’Donnell’s number of days until we get to see Trubisky jump in the ride, put it in drive, and speed of to a 1-0 start.
  • Speakers, routers, jumpstarters, and sound machines are among your good Deals of the Day today at Amazon.
  • I can’t believe we made it this far without talking about the Bears’ kicking situation:
  • If Trubisky is great this season, we’ll only be worried about the Bears kicker nailing PATs. And by that point Trubisky will be so good, Chicago will be going for two-point conversions because 2 > 1.
  • This is neat: Bears owner Virginia McCaskey will be prominently featured in “A Lifetime of Sundays” … an ESPN documentary providing a look at the NFL’s history and growth through the eyes of four women owners who have seen it all. Joining the Bears’ matriarch will be Martha Firestone Ford (Detroit Lions), Norma Hunt (Kansas City Chiefs), and Patricia Mooney (Pittsburgh Steelers). The documentary will air on September 1.
  • John Franklin III is a long-shot to make the Bears’ season-opening 53-man roster, but the QB-turned-WR-turned-CB isn’t going to settle for being just the guy who was on “Last Chance U.” JJ Stankevitz (NBC Sports Chicago) catches up with Franklin, who wants people to remember him for more than being a “Last Chance U” standout, so he is pushing hard to make the 53-man roster, then continue to push from there.
  • You gotta love the mentality, too. “I’m not trying to just be okay,” Franklin told NBC Sports Chicago. “I want to be the best that ever played.” DANG! Go get it, guy!
  • We had a Bleacher Nation takeover of the 8 o’clock hour on Joe Ostrowski’s show on 670 The Score:
  • https://twitter.com/JoeO670/status/1163783897672380416?s=20

  • On a personal note, that was a pretty big deal for yours truly. I have been listening to WSCR since its inception and the station has helped shape my fandom in ways I can’t even begin to describe. So being on those airwaves was a pretty big honor. Can’t wait to do it again!
  • Trey Burton taking on the hard questions like a champ:
  • https://twitter.com/ChicagoBears/status/1163631739689938947?s=20

  • Joe Maddon should’ve taken first-pitch tips from Matt Nagy before unleashing this throw:
  • Some love for Bulls rookie Coby White:
  • A surprise, to be sure. But only time will tell if it will have been a welcome one:
  • written by

    Luis C. Medina, who you can find on Twitter at lcm1986, has been covering the Chicago Bears at Bleacher Nation since 2017. Since then, he has written about 3 head coaches, 5 play-callers, and 11 starting quarterbacks. Previously, Luis wrote about the Cubs and MLB at BN (2015-16) and worked in the Chicago Tribune sports department (2011-16). He also co-hosted a Cubs postgame show, Outside the Ivy, in 2019.

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