When looking at the comparison between Nick Foles and Mitch Trubisky on the surface? People may wonder why Matt Nagy decided to make the switch when he did. Trubisky finished with 560 yards, 6 TD passes, and 3 interceptions in two and three-quarter games of work. Good for an 87.4 passer rating. Foles? In three and a quarter games he sits at 878 yards, 6 TD passes, and 4 interceptions. That works out to an 80.4 passer rating.
Considering the added benefits of the mobility, did the Bears make the right call benching Trubisky when they did? Yes, and most people don’t dispute it. The first thing to remember here is that in his past three starts Foles has faced 1st, 6th, and 7th ranked pass defenses in the NFL. In a row. His next start will be against the 4th ranked Los Angeles Rams. Talk about a brutal slate.
Context is always key in these situations.
It’s also important to remember Foles won two of those three games despite some struggles. Does anybody believe Trubisky beats the Buccaneers on Thursday night? Probably not. Why is that? What makes Foles so different? It can’t be talent. One could argue Trubisky is superior physically.
Former GM Michael Lombardi, a longtime critic of the ex-2nd overall pick, knows exactly what the difference is. He told Mully & Haugh on 670 The Score about it.
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“I think he gives them some sense of confidence. I think they don’t have to build his confidence up. You have to build Mitchell’s up and I think that’s the big difference. Foles exudes confidence. People feel confident around him. Whereas “MVP Mitch”? They had to build him up, they had to give confidence to him and I think that’s a vastly different thing. You can feel it in the huddle.”
Nick Foles is starting to get this team to believe
Anybody who watched his press conference after the Carolina win could see it. The guy is a natural-born leader. He has unshakable faith both in himself and his teammates. That fiery speech he gave came straight from the heart. Rest assured that it resonated with that locker room. This Bears team may not be pretty, but they’re starting to believe they can play against anybody.
When that happens, good things tend to follow.
While Lombardi has his rather garbage takes from time to time, he’s not wrong in this case. Trubisky seemed to suffer from too much an emotional roller coaster. If things didn’t start well in a game, too often he was never able to pull the nose up. Not against good opponents anyway.
Garbage time stats would often mask how bad he really was.
Foles hasn’t had the strongest start under center, but people will also notice he hasn’t had anything close to Trubisky’s lows. That steadiness is something the Bears have sorely missed at quarterback. They don’t need him to be spectacular. Just manage the game, make a few key throws, and be the leader they need.
This guy can do that. Perhaps in time, he’ll be able to do even more. The Bears won’t play great defenses forever. Sooner or later they will hit a stretch of schedule that offers an opportunity for this offense to find a groove. Nick Foles has shown that he can light opponents up when he gets hot. That is why he has a Super Bowl ring on his finger.
It comes down to whether the offensive line can protect him.