When the Chicago Bears open their training camp in six weeks, quarterback Mitchell Trubisky will be at the center of attention. Trubisky will battle newly-acquired veteran Nick Foles for the starting quarterback position. Fans and some in the media are ready for Chicago to move on from the former second overall pick as he has been significantly inconsistent during his career. Although Trubisky has played erratically during his first few seasons in the league, he has demonstrated the ability to be clutch and rise to the occasion.
Many Bears fans forget that Trubisky has had several situations in which he led the Bears on last-minute game-winning drives. In just the second start of his career, he completed a critical 18-yard pass to convert a third and 11 in overtime against the Baltimore Ravens. The throw, which was off balance and put in a place where only the wide receiver could have gotten, set up a game-winning kick and the first win for Trubisky.
Last season, for as bad as the Bears quarterback played, he did lead the team on two last-minute game-winning drives. In week two against the Broncos, Trubisky climbed the pocket on fourth and long to connect with Allen Robinson for a 25-yard pass with one second left. The pass put the Bears in field goal position in which kicker Eddy Pineiro kicked a 53-yard field goal for the team’s first victory. In the last game of the season, Chicago trailed the Minnesota Vikings 19-18 with less than two minutes left. On a fourth and nine again, Trubisky scrambled to his right and connected with Riley Ridley for a 33-yard pass, which would eventually set up the game-winning kick.
There have been at least three other occasions where Trubisky has put Chicago in a position to win or tie at the end of a game. In 2017, at home against the Detroit Lions, the 2018 Wild Card Playoff game against the Eagles, and last year against the Los Angeles Chargers were all situations in which Trubisky put the team in position to win or force overtime. All three opportunities were lost as each time Chicago’s kickers missed the field goals.
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The other aspect of Trubisky, which is forgotten, has been his ability to bounce back from poor performances. Throughout his short career, the Pro-Bowl quarterback has always followed up games in which he threw multiple interceptions or was highly inaccurate with some great performances. Following his first three-interception game against the Lions during his rookie season, Trubisky responded the following game with an 87.8 quarterback rating, 237 total yards, and a touchdown in a win over the Browns.
In week four of the 2018 season, Trubisky had his best day as a quarterback. He threw six touchdowns, passed for 358 yards, and had a QBR of 154.6. In the prior week against the Arizona Cardinals, where Trubisky posted a completion percentage under 70. Following a Rams game in which Trubisky was picked off three times, he responded with two consecutive games of passing for over 235 yards and having a QBR above 100.
Last season, Trubisky had four games in which he threw for three touchdowns. Of the four, three of those games came after a week in which the quarterback played poorly. Against Washington and Detroit twice, the quarterback responded to have a positive game to bounce back from a bad showing the week prior.
The ability to bounce back following a tough game or be clutch in the final few moments of a game does not grant Trubisky a pass on his other glaring flaws. The quarterback still needs to improve significantly on how he reads opposing defenses and his deep ball accuracy. He will not beat Foles for the starting quarterback position unless he improves in these areas. It is still important for fans and critics to remember what Trubisky is capable of and not just focus in on his shortcomings.
