October 9th of 2017 was a memorable evening for a lot of Chicago Bears fans. It was Monday Night Football at Soldier Field and it was a game against the rival Minnesota Vikings. Most of all? It was the debut of #2 overall pick Mitch Trubisky. His first career start as Bears quarterback. The hype was off the charts despite Chicago being 1-3 at the time.
All things considered, Trubisky wasn’t terrible. He threw for 128 yards, a touchdown, and an interception. He also ran for 22 yards. It wasn’t a stellar performance but it was his first career start against the #1 defense in the NFL. Losing that game 20-17 could be called a good learning experience if nothing else.
What so many people forget about that night was just how outmatched the Trubisky was. He had no weapons at wide receiver. None. Think about this. Here’s the lineup of starting pass targets the Bears put on the field that night:
Seriously. Wright was signed and then cut by Minnesota after leaving for free agency. Now he’s Arizona hasn’t caught a pass this season. McBride was signed and waived by the New York Jets before the season. He’s not even on a roster. Wheaton signed in Philadelphia after being cut and he too has no catches. Nor does Miller, the only credible threat of that group.
Subscribe to the BFR podcast and ride shotgun with Dave and Ficky as they break down Bears football like nobody else.
So to review, not a single name on that list has a catch in 2018. Let that sink in.
Mitch Trubisky is far better armed and prepared for Vikings this time
The Vikings were fortunate last year. They ran into an inexperienced quarterback with no weapons playing in an archaic offense. Such things aren’t hard to stop. This time threatens to be a lot different. Trubisky is playing the best football of his career yet with 2,305 yards and 19 touchdown passes. He’s 4-1 at home with the loss being a game where he put up 31 points.
Allen Robinson, Anthony Miller, Taylor Gabriel, and Trey Burton will be at his disposal in this one. A lot of speed, a lot of route running skill and a lot of confidence in that group. Are the Vikings prepare to cover all of them? The Bears are eager to find out. Put it this way. If the offensive line can hold off that outstanding Minnesota pass rush, Trubisky is capable of having himself a big night. So much has changed in a year.
