Mitchell Trubisky needs to improve dramatically if the Chicago Bears are going to be a Super Bowl contender. Week 1 was atrocious.
The Chicago Bears aren’t winning anything significant with Mitchell Trubisky. At least not this version, anyway.
Trubisky was hideous on Thursday night in Chicago’s 10-7 loss to the Green Bay Packers at Solider Field. He was sloppy, he was reckless and worst of all, he was scared. The Bears’ play calling portrayed a fear of allowing Trubisky to shake the shackles of conservatism, and Trubisky appeared to feel the lack of confidence in him.
His final numbers (26-of-45 for 228 yards and an INT) don’t begin to tell the levels of Trubisky’s ineptitude. Throws were constantly bouncing off the hands of Green Bay defenders. There was one interception to seal the game from former teammate Adrian Amos. There could have been three more prior to the deciding play.
Perhaps no series was more telling of how head coach Matt Nagy feels about his quarterback. Trailing 7-3 with 43 seconds remaining, the Bears gained possession at their own 15-yard line. Instead of taking a few intermediate shots to climb within field goal range, Nagy called safe, one-read throws to effectively go to halftime. It was the ultimate way of showing zero confidence.
In the NFL, players read the room. They’ve been in enough of them. In this instance, it’s clear Nagy knows his defense is elite, and his quarterback is anything but. It’s also clear to the opponent.
The Packers’ plan was to keep Trubisky in the pocket and make him throw the ball. It worked. He only ran three times while the team notched just 15 rushing attempts total. This despite the contest never being more than a one-score affair.
It doesn’t get any easier next weekend. The Bears travel to Denver for a showdown with the Broncos and former defensive coordinator Vic Fangio. Denver is a tough place any time, but especially in the team’s home opener, with Fangio on the sideline, and Von Miller and Bradley Chubb flying off the edges. If Trubisky doesn’t elevate both himself and the offense, Chicago will be 0-2.
Coming into the season, the prevailing thought from Chicago was simple: Trubisky needs to be better, and this is a Super Bowl team. The idea is correct, but in August, it’s easy to overlook warts, believing they can and will be covered up or correctly.
Then September happens, and reality steps to the fore. Trubisky isn’t good. Whether he ever will be remains a source of debate, but right now? There’s no debate.
The Bears aren’t winning anything with this version of Mitchell Trubisky at quarterback.