NEWSLETTER
Watching Mitch Trubisky under center (or in the shotgun, depending on the play) can be an emotional rollercoaster. On any given play, Trubisky can look the part of a QB worth moving up in the draft to acquire (because of his arm-talent, mobility, and play-making skills), and also someone that will leave you scratching your head (because of seriously questionable decision-making and poor throws).
With that said, re-watching all of Trubisky’s plays is a daunting task. But WGN Radio’s Adam Hoge did it, and his findings were interesting (to say the least):
Matt Nagy issued a challenge.
I took it literally.
581 plays later, here’s what I learned from watching every one of Mitchell Trubisky’s passes (and runs) from 2018: https://t.co/pYgjZ08Ldl
— Adam Hoge (@AdamHoge) August 26, 2019
Hoge re-watched coaches film on 581 plays from Trubisky’s 2018 season. He took notes on good things, bad things, and discussed it all with teammates, opponents, and coaches en route to getting a better grasp on what we witnessed last season. Hoge dissected everything from Trubisky’s sharp season-opening drive against the Packers, to the final tosses against the Eagles on Wild Card Sunday, and everything in between.
You will want to read the piece in its entirety to get a full grasp of the bigger picture, but in the meantime, a few themes stood out to me.
THE EAGLES GAME WAS A SNAPSHOT OF TRUBISKY’S SEASON
Many fans remember the playoff loss against the Eagles for how it ended. But as we move further away from the game’s ending, it’s becoming clearer as to how that game could ultimately represent a turning point in Trubisky’s career. Look no further than Trubisky’s postseason performance if you want an illustration of his 2018 season. It was a mixed bag of extremes, with the ending flashing a boatload of potential to dream on.
LATE SEASON ADJUSTMENTS
The Bears beat the Rams to capture a signature win, though Trubisky’s performance didn’t offer up much to be optimistic about. His struggles were real and his defense did everything possible to bail him out. For other quarterbacks, it would have been the beginning of a downward spiral to end the season. But for Trubisky, it was the beginning of a turnaround period that ultimately served as a launching point for a strong end-of-season push.
Trubisky finished with a solid three-game stretch agains the Packers, 49ers, and Vikings. It’s notable that Trubisky made adjustments the second time around against Green Bay and Minnesota, as it is proof that he can learn from his mistakes. As for the 49ers, Hoge pointed out they threw together a similar game plan to what the Rams did in going away from their tendencies in an attempt to throw off the second-year quarterback. But instead of falling into traps, Trubisky side-stepped them on his way to a win.
GROWTH
Going into last year, the thing we wanted the most was Trubisky’s growth from Year 1 to Year 2. But trading for Khalil Mack threw those plans for a loop and raised the bar (as well as our expectations). In the end, Mack’s arrival allowed for Trubisky to have more wiggle room and a bigger learning curve. From there, Trubisky was able to grow and simultaneously lead his team to wins while under center. Nothing encapsulates that growth like re-watching the last offensive drive from Week 1 (where the biggest play was a roughing-the-passer penalty) and re-visiting Trubisky’s final drive against the Eagles on Wild-Card Sunday.
What it all means for the 2019 season remains to be seen, but I’m ready to check in to see what happens.
