Dan Orlovsky played in the NFL for a number of years. While he was never able to reach peak success on the field, he’s demonstrated since retirement that he knows the position inside and out. His tape study of it is impressive and he’s shown to be fair and balanced in his analysis. That’s why it was interesting to hear what he had to say following the game Mitch Trubisky had in Buffalo.
On the surface, it wouldn’t look like much. He completed 12-of-20 passes for 135 yards, a touchdown, and an interception. People would call that a quiet game. Haters would call it a disaster. The fact is Trubisky never was able to get in a rhythm due in large part to how well the defense played for the Chicago Bears, scoring two defensive touchdowns in a 41-9 rout.
Orlovsky though believes there were definite signs of progress from Trubisky during the game. He took some time to break it down with one particular play in the first half. It was a 3rd and 15 play that saw him convert for a first down. The throw was good, but what really stood out to Orlovsky was the information processing before the snap.
Every week @Mtrubisky10 gets better. Still so so young-but he’s getting coached well, he’s smart, and it’s showing on tape for the @ChicagoBears organization. @thekapman @kfishbain @DickersonESPN @BearsBarroom #NFLGamePass #NFLPartner pic.twitter.com/iV81X8SlLv
— Dan Orlovsky (@danorlovsky7) November 6, 2018
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Mitch Trubisky made a number of throws like that Sunday
What’s interesting is that quarterbacks coach Dave Ragone stated after the win that the most impressive thing about Trubisky’s progress of late has been his pre-snap work. His ability to identify what the defense is doing and getting the offense into the correct play to take advantage. That is often what separates the regular quarterbacks from the good ones.
He had two other big 3rd down conversions on the afternoon. One where he avoided pressure fading to his left and fired a pinpoint pass on the run to Anthony Miller in between two defenders for 19 yards. Then there was a 26-yard completion to Trey Burton in which Trubisky stood tall in the pocket and had pressure directly in his face as he let the ball fly.
Those aren’t regular throws. Those are “pro” throws. The types of passes that good quarterbacks are expected to make. At the start of the year, Trubisky wasn’t hitting them. Now he is. Orlovsky sees that too and it’s a definite sign that he’s headed in the right direction. It’s just a matter of finding the consistency. That should come with more time and patience.
