NEWSLETTER
Even though the Bears haven’t declared a starting quarterback for Week 1, there is a belief Nick Foles has a slight edge in the race.
But before you put that to ink, here’s ESPN insider Dan Orlovsky with some perspective:
Success is all about consistency around fundamentals! The @chicagobears haven’t announced it yet but their QB to start season will be Trubisky-if I was with him I would have stripped down his poor fundamentals-without them his talent doesn’t matter. @espnnfl @thekapman pic.twitter.com/5iZLOpTUyO
— Dan Orlovsky (@danorlovsky7) September 1, 2020
I’m not sure if Orlovsky is predicting or reporting Mitch Trubisky will be the Bears’ Week 1 starter. He makes no distinction in the clip. But based on his tone, I am certain he has confidence Trubisky will be the guy. Moreover, Orlovsky seems to believe Trubisky has a leash that’s long enough to stretch into October with the job. HOWEVER, Orlovsky spends a chunk of that 1-minute, 41-second video underscoring how it could go wrong for Trubisky.
Orlovsky points out the type of mechanical problems that have plagued Trubisky throughout his career. The ones that have led him to this moment. You know, the one where he is battling for a starting job in his fourth year in the league. Orlovsky believes Trubisky straightening out his mechanical issues could position him to get a real grasp on the starting job. And for what it’s worth, Trubisky spent time this offseason with a personal quarterback coach who focused on sharpening his mechanics.
That’s all well and good. Trubisky cleaning up the mechanical problems was something that was long overdue. But even if Trubisky gets that done, it seems as if Orlovsky is missing an important piece in this puzzle.
At two different points this offseason Bears Head Coach Matt Nagy laid out a plan for Trubisky. First, it was to be come “a master at reading coverages.” Later, Nagy doubled down on the importance of Trubisky mastering the plan by saying: “For him, I think the processing part … it has to get to a point where you’re so obsessed, no matter what you’re doing, you’er always watching film.” Mechanics, skills, and raw talent aside, Nagy’s multiple references highlighting the importance of being able to read a defense shouldn’t go unnoticed. Clearly, that’s something he needs his quarterback to do in order to properly function within the offense.
With that being said, Nagy provided a progress report:
When last season ended, Matt Nagy was emphatic with his wish for Mitch Trubisky to become “a master at understanding coverages.” A month into training camp, I asked Nagy for a progress report on Mitch in that department. pic.twitter.com/8Tl4Jov8lP
— Dan Wiederer (@danwiederer) September 1, 2020
On one hand, it’s encouraging that Trubisky is doing well and growing in that regard. Then again, Nagy seems to edge and back-track on the “mastering” part. And that doesn’t make me feel confident that Trubisky has gotten to a place where he needs to be in order to run the offense.
In the end, this brings me back to square one of the quarterback battle. Because with less than a week before the first practices of Week 1 get under way, we’re still discussing the QB derby as a battle between Trubisky’s athleticism (and upside) and Foles knowledge of how to operate within the system. The Bears will get to a point where they have to choose one or the other in order to properly prepare for the Lions. Or maybe they don’t. It’s not like they’re anywhere close to making a decision right now.
