People remember Drew Brees for his laundry list of accomplishments in New Orleans. They always forget his career starter in San Diego and was anything but smooth. In fact, the future Hall of Famer has made it clear on many occasions how he was benched multiple times while there. Something he felt probably contributed to his maturation process. Given all the comparisons people try to make between Brees and Mitch Trubisky, it’s fair to wonder if his benching earlier this year had a similar effect. Bill Lazor thinks so.
The offensive coordinator is well-traveled in the NFL and he’s worked with an array of different quarterbacks in that time. He oversaw the early development of Ryan Tannehill in Miami and then the waning days of Andy Dalton in Cincinnati. He’s seen both sides of the spectrum. So he had an idea of what he was getting into when the Bears hired him.
True to form, Trubisky has been quite an experience.
After a decent start in the first two games of the year, he fell to earth hard in Atlanta. Enough to where Matt Nagy had finally seen enough. The rollercoaster had made him sick for the last time. Nick Foles got the call to go in and Trubisky was benched for the first time in his football career. Needless to say, he didn’t care for it and adjusting to that life took time.
Lazor and others though probably sensed he might be needed down the road. Everybody knew Foles’ reputation for getting injured. Sure enough, a bad hit against Minnesota put the veteran on the shelf. Just like that Trubisky was back in the picture. Yet the offensive coordinator hinted it wasn’t the same person anymore. The QB was more vocal, insisting on more input with the offense. How he wanted it adjusted.
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Such confidence and command weren’t there before. Lazor seems to think the epiphany arrived when the benching happened.
“I’m guessing he took the time when he wasn’t starting to really gather his thoughts. You know, step back and evaluate. And so I think it allows him to be very clear and organized in the things that he was most into.”
Bill Lazor has listened to Trubisky’s input and it’s working
The Bears have clearly adjusted how they run the offense the past few weeks. They’re employing a steadier dose of David Montgomery on the ground, more play action and rollouts utilizing Trubisky’s athleticism, and getting tight end Cole Kmet more involved. It’s led to the team scoring 30 and 34 points in their past two games. Something that hadn’t happened since 2018.
Trubisky, for his part, has thrown seven touchdowns to just two interceptions in his three starts since returning from the benching. Sure he’s still had some ugly moments and hasn’t faced elite defenses by any stretch. Yet remember this is the guy who posted a 71.8 passer rating against the 28th-ranked Falcons defense that led to his exit in the first place. Like it or not, he is simply playing better football right now.
Will it continue to the last is the question everybody’s asking.
The formula has worked so far but the Vikings figure to be the toughest test to date. While their defense isn’t great it’s much better coached and has given Trubisky headaches since he entered the league. If he manages to put together a strong performance, Bill Lazor could be proven correct. The benching may have actually helped him more than anybody realized.