Chicago Bears fans had to be salivating as they watched Carson Wentz and the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday night. The second-year quarterback and former #2 overall pick was outstanding and the team is firing on all cylinders. They might be the best in the NFL right now, which is amazing to think about given where they were a year ago. Of course this will lead to the speculation. How far away are the Bears from being the exact same team and can Mitch Trubisky be their Wentz?
The similarities are indeed striking. In 2016 the Eagles had the semblance of a good roster including a solid offensive line and intriguing defense. However they also were thin at wide receiver and in the secondary.
Sound familiar? The Bears are beyond depleted at receiver. They have a rookie quarterback who is a former #2 overall pick. At the same time they have an emerging defense and solid offensive line. How far away is this team from becoming the Eagles of 2018?
Chicago Bears 2018 hopes hinge on two factors
Of course much of that will depend on Trubisky and his progression as a quarterback. People are quickly going to argue he’s nowhere near where Wentz was in 2016. Is that fair though? Wentz threw 607 passes last year in 16 games. In three games so far this year Trubisky has thrown it 48 times. If that average holds he’ll throw it 192 times this season. That is a clear indication he’s not being asked to do as much as Wentz was.
There are a few reasons for this. One could argue the Bears receiver situation is even worse than Philadelphia last year. The Eagles had Jordan Matthews and Nelson Agholor. Matthews finished three yards shy of 1,000 in 2015. Agholor is a former first round pick. They also had second round pick Dorial Green-Beckham. So there was talent there.
Trubisky has Kendall Wright, Tanner Gentry, Tre McBride and Josh Bellamy. Wright is a former first rounder who was cut by his original team. McBride was a seventh rounder cut by the same team. Gentry is an undrafted free agent and Bellamy used to be one. Not only is it a group lacking talent, but also experience.
Then there’s the fact that the Bears have a better running game than Philadelphia did. Their best back was Ryan Mathews. Chicago has Jordan Howard. It’s little wonder the Bears are content to feed the ground game. They’re sticking to what they do best. It may not be ideal for the QB, but it’s what’s best for the team. That said there is one huge divide separating them and the Eagles right now.
Doug Pederson is a vital key to Wentz that John Fox can’t be to Mitch
It’s critical to never underestimate the value of a having a sharp offensive mind as the head coach. People wonder why Wentz and Dak Prescott excelled so quickly since last year. Sure it’s their own gifts but also having two former NFL quarterbacks as their head coaches hasn’t hurt. Doug Pederson is a protege of Andy Reid, one of the best coaches of the past two decades. If anybody has learned what it takes to develop a QB properly, it’s Pederson.
Then there’s John Fox. His success at team building speaks for itself. The man has now constructed three excellent defenses in Carolina, Denver and Chicago. He’s built strong running games and understands how to foster a thriving team culture. The one area that people might call him weak is developing quarterbacks.
All of his success including the two Super Bowl appearances were brought about by QBs who’d been developed elsewhere. Jake Delhomme sharpened his teeth in New Orleans and NFL Europe before arriving in Carolina. Peyton Manning was already a future Hall of Famer by the time he got to Denver. Trubisky represents the first ever first round pick drafted under his watch that he’s had to develop in 15 years.
The results so far are not encouraging. Fox’s conservative style is making Mitch hesitant to throw. He’s completing barely half his passes and failing to find a rhythm. It’s worth noting that Fox has had a top 10 passing offense four times in his career. Three of those times were with Manning in Denver. Is this really the man Chicago wants overseeing their most talented young QB to come around in years?
A man that will be 63 in February, don’t forget. That is going to be the decision that GM Ryan Pace has to make.
