Sure, the heat is on Mitch Trubisky as he enters Week 12 of his third season as a starting quarterback, but the Bears are doing everything possible to alleviate the stress it could be bringing him.
In a Sunday morning segment on NFL Network’s “NFL GameDay” program, league insider Ian Rapoport shares the latest vote of confidence from inside Halas Hall:
From @NFLGameDay: #Bears QB Mitch Trubisky's play has drawn scrutiny, but the organization is still firmly behind him — with the entire offense needing to play better. pic.twitter.com/oNV8tynXFH
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) November 24, 2019
“Of course he does need to play better, but there is, I’m told, serious confidence from this organization in Trubisky,” Rapoport said. “And one of the reasons they have it is because they believe it’s not just him on offense. The entire offense needs to play better, they have pre-snap penalties, receivers running the wrong route, run-game issues, coaching issues. Yes, Trubisky needs to play better. But it’s the entire offense that needs to improve.”
No, Rapoport isn’t wrong that the Bears’ offense has a whole collection of issues that need to be cleaned up. The ground game hasn’t gained any traction, though it is hard to do so without a firm commitment to it. Pre-snap penalties along the offensive line have put the Bears behind the chains more often than any team should. Route-running has been an issue with some pass-catchers, which has caused problems down the field. And issues when it comes to things such as game-planning and in-game adjustments have reared their head. But in the end, none of this should be used as an excuse to give Trubisky a free pass.
Trubisky shouldn’t take all the blame for the offense’s struggles, but his issues – which weren’t brought up in as much detail as other problems elsewhere – are real and have been holding this team back. There would be more holes to run through if defenses had to respect the deep passing attack. There might be fewer poorly run routes if Trubisky hit receivers when they were open at different parts of certain drives. Maybe there would be fewer sacks allowed by a struggling offensive line if Trubisky got the ball out of his hands quicker. These are all fair criticisms that play a role in the totality of the offense’s struggles.
Based on Rapoport’s reporting, it is evident the Bears organization does not believe Trubisky is the biggest issue. But when you’re the quarterback of the league’s charter franchise and coming off a Pro Bowl season, it comes with the territory.