When Matt Nagy says Mitch Trubisky needs to become a master at reading and understanding defenses, know that Trubisky really is the only one who can make that happen.
But he won’t exactly go through the journey alone.
Indeed, I’m absolutely enamored with the recent hire of John DeFilippo as the Bears’ new quarterbacks coach. DeFilippo has eight years of experience as a position coach molding signal callers at the NFL level, plus three years under his belt as an offensive coordinator. The reviews are mixed when it comes to DeFilippo’s work as a coordinator, but he is undoubtedly one of the best quarterback coaches in the league.
And what makes him so exceptional is his work in the film room. While with the Eagles, DeFilippo used to have an occasional YouTube series in which he would break down tape of Carson Wentz. The way he talks through what Wentz does is easy to digest for us as fans, so the hope would be that he could do the same for his quarterback.
Check it out below:
And take a listen to how DeFilippo presses Wentz during the pre-draft process:
This video is one of my reasons why I was excited about John DeFilippo. Here's Carson Wentz's combine interview with the Eagles. Listen to how he tests Wentz's knowledge. The dialogue here is awesome from both. pic.twitter.com/6x1vanFb5a
— Jordan Reid (@JReidNFL) March 17, 2018
The guy seems to know what he is talking about. And with all due respect to Mark Helfrich, having that guy in your locker room with his lengthy NFL experience might be a better messenger than an assistant who – while steeped in quarterback knowledge – never had to deal with it at the NFL level.
For Trubisky to become an ace in understanding what defenses are trying to do to him on the field, he’ll need to be one in the film room. This is where DeFilippo’s expertise figures to come in handy. Because while DeFilippo has a history of drilling quarterbacks into better mechanics, we have seen Trubisky make good throws off the wrong foot and from different platforms, then turn around and toss a dud while operating with ideal mechanics. What is holding Trubisky back more than anything is his reading of defenses. Ideally, DeFilippo’s work in the film room will help bridge the gap from where Trubisky is and where he needs to be in 2020.