Charles Leno Jr. and the Offensive Line Try To Take Some Heat Off Mitch Trubisky and Other Bears Bullets

After admitting to a friend that I was going through some tough times, I’ve turned to back to meditation (again). I am at a streak of four days of morning meditation, while also mixing in some night sessions. Anything to be a little bit better.

  • Mitch Trubisky caused a stir with comments he made during his Wednesday press conference, specifically the ones in which he made reference to turning off televisions at Halas Hall to tune out the noise. Naturally, the fallout has begun:
  • Kudos to Trubisky for not falling apart at the lectern when taking questions during some rough times. And credit to Trubisky for not going off on a reporter like Mayfield did last week when he was being peppered with questions that were clearly annoying him. It’s just that … I’m not sure Trubisky is handling this all that well. I’ll concede that his commentary regarding finding the off switch on the television might have been rooted in a tongue-in-cheek type of style, but it felt like one of those “I’m joking … but not really” moments. It reminded me of an old episode of The Simpsons when Krusty the Clown was running for public office, tells a joke that misses the mark, and responds by saying: “When you look at me like that, it’s a joke.”
  • Maybe the joke would have come off as one if that was his M.O. when speaking. Trubisky can come off as cold and robotic with what he says, and it has become easy to pick up on how he parrots things that are driven home to him behind closed doors. This isn’t meant to be a criticism, because I understand that public speaking isn’t a strength for everyone. But the communication is so off for Trubisky right now. Just add it to the list of things that is “off” about the Bears starting quarterback.
  • On a more positive note, some bettors are getting refunds on their ill-fated Trubisky futures bets:
  • As for yours truly, I’m going down with the ship. Sometimes you make investments that don’t cash out. That’s just how life works. But because I covered myself with MVP futures odds for Christian McCaffrey, Deshaun Watson, and Russell Wilson, I don’t feel too bad about Trubisky laying an egg from a gambling perspective. Always know your blind spots, people!
  • Speaking of blind spots, Trubisky’s blindside protection recently came to his defense. Left tackle Charles Leno Jr. wants to make it clear that the offensive struggles aren’t solely on Trubisky’s shoulders. “It’s not all on him, we know that,” Leno said, via Bryan Perez of NBC Sports Chicago. “We’re the ones up front protecting him, we’re the ones up front running the ball for David (Montgomery) and Tarik (Cohen), so we look at it like it’s on us. I’d rather put all the pressure on us than put it on the quarterback, you know what I’m saying? So, we just want to do our job better so we can make it easier for all those guys around us because it starts with us, regardless of play.”
  • Leno is right in that everything starts with the offensive line at the point of attack. If those guys are getting blown off the line, then everything else that happens with the skill position players will be for naught because so much will have been negated when the battle at the line of scrimmage is lost. Through eight games, Cody Whitehair is the only Bears offensive lineman with an above average grade from Pro Football Focus. I suppose that factoid would go a long way toward explaining why this group (and the offense as a whole) has struggled.
  • (Photo by Getty Images)

  • Mike Vick was a star quarterback in the NFL, one who used his legs as a weapon on a weekly basis. He has ideas on how to help Trubisky out, but benching is out of the equation. I can already hear you through my computer screen, but hear him out:
  • Benching Trubisky would mark the beginning of the point of no return for him and the Bears. It would represent a loss of faith, and as Vick points out, could ultimately shatter his confidence and wreck his career. Despite his many shortcomings, Trubisky’s athleticism should keep him in the league … but a benching at this point of his career could be a game changer.
  • This is a dark hole we’ve traveled down, so let’s lighten the mood with a Mic’d Up Bilal Nichols:
  • Matthew Stafford has taken a lickin’ this year, but keeps on tickin’:
  • This is a take:
  • Ahhhh, re-visiting the scouting stuff leading up to the NFL Draft. So many memories of the early days of this wonderful site we built here at BN Bears:
  • In case you were wondering why Joe Burrow’s draft stock has elevated in recent months:
  • I am looking forward to writing about this young man from my alma mater, who is going to play at the Senior Bowl:
  • And since the Bears need a safety to pair with Eddie Jackson in the future, don’t be surprised if Jeremy Chinn pops up as someone whose draft stock I watch closely.
  • So … he’ll be back for Week 16 against the Bears?
  • THEY DID IT, Y’ALL:
  • 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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