For a guy who is just 13 games into his professional career, it’s incredible how much Mitch Trubisky is dogged. Being a #2 pick comes with high expectations, sure. Even so, people aren’t giving enough thought to his situation. Here’s a young man who started just 13 games in college. He comes to Chicago and must spend 12 games in an offensive system that most experts and opponents deemed unworthy of being in the NFL.
That’s why the Bears hired head coach Matt Nagy. His roots as a quarterback, of learning the West Coast system under Andy Reid made him a solid choice to get Trubisky fixed up. Yet it didn’t change the fact that it’s a new offense and a complex one at that. Not only was the West Coast scheme involved, considered among the more complicated in the league, but also elements of the creative Oregon offense from college.
To ask Trubisky to execute that system flawlessly in his first game, on the road, against a solid defense with all new receivers is a bit much. Yet people saw his game (174 yards, 0 TDs, 0 INTs) and proclaim him a bust. Some have even dug deeper and pinpointed a certain part of his game that is being declared a fatal flaw.
2017, passes past the line of scrimmage
Left: 17/45 (37.8%), 272 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT. Passer rating of 47.6, AYA of 4.49
Right/Middle: 131/209 (62.7%), 1625 yards, 5 TD, 5 INT. Passer rating of 84.7, AYA of 7.18 https://t.co/sHforiA5iZ
— Arif Hasan (@ArifHasanNFL) September 10, 2018
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Mitch Trubisky issues throwing left aren’t about his arm
Let this be known now. Trubisky’s “issue” throwing to the left has nothing to do with touch and everything to do with mechanics. Specifically, in regard to his footwork. People hear about footwork all the time with quarterbacks. Throwing a football may sound easy, but throwing it accurately to a moving target is more difficult than you’d think.
Just delivering a spiral is a small part of it. In order to get the ball to the right level of the field and aimed in the proper direction, it all starts with the footwork. Bill Walsh, who invented the West Coast offense that Nagy is trying to install, harped on this constantly during his days with the San Francisco 49ers.
This explanation by the coaches running the Nike Football Camp for youths puts it in clear and concise words that Walsh would’ve praised.
“Everything starts with a quarterback’s footwork. A solid throwing base is the foundation of an accurate passer. This starts with a 3-, 5-, or sometimes 7-step drop and must end in a balanced stance ready to throw without a hitch step if the route dictates. Feet should be shoulder width apart and perpendicular to the target so that the quarterback is looking over his non-throwing shoulder at his target.
The step to the target determines how the hips and shoulders will open and the angle of trajectory. Overstriding leads to overthrows and under striding puts the ball in the dirt. A proper step to the target should be 6 inches and slightly to the left of the intended target for a right-handed quarterback.”
Couldn’t have said it any better. The foundation of an accurate quarterback starts with the footwork and this is where Trubisky has the most to learn.
Trubisky throws with high accuracy when his feet are right
The truth of the matter is that the quarterback continues to show how much college he still has in him. College offenses don’t demand as much passing accuracy as the NFL does. Their receivers are often wide open. Trubisky was able to get away with that plenty at North Carolina. He’s learning now that windows in the pros are far tighter and he must be consistent in his fundamentals or it leads to mistakes.
Throwing to the left for a right-handed quarterback is the biggest challenge because it puts the highest demand on the feet. If you watch Trubisky, it’s no different.
This throw to Dion Sims shouldn’t be too complicated. Mitch has good protection and a clean throwing lane, yet he pushes it too high for Sims to reach. Is he just juiced up a bit? Too excited? Nope. Watch again and take note of the feet. He takes the seven-step drop well, but when he turns to the left he opens up his stance too wide when he cuts the ball loose. Remember what the coach above said? Overstride leads to overthrow.
By contrast, here’s a throw he had in his first game against the Packers last season.
Again Trubisky takes a good seven-step drop. The moment he hits the back step he looks left and finds Josh Bellamy open. He directs his left foot six inches and slightly to the left of where he’s throwing and the ball is right on the money for a 46-yard touchdown. Great execution from snap to throw. So again. It’s not that Trubisky can’t throw to his left accurately. It’s that his required footwork to do so right now is way too inconsistent.
Here’s another minor bomb drop: it’s not just throwing to the left with him either(!!!)
Trubisky has exhibited the same nagging problems when throwing to his right as well. In fact, there’s living proof in that same Packers game last year. Towards the end of the game, when the Bears were trying to drive for the tie, Trubisky again had Bellamy open towards the sideline.
This misfire was bad because the footwork was bad. Trubisky again hits the back step and finds Bellamy, cutting it loose without hesitant. Just one problem. He didn’t turn to take the necessary step in that direction. His left foot remains where it was when he finished his drop, which means it was aimed towards the middle of the field and was way too wide for a proper throw to the right. Sure enough, like before, the wide stance leads to an overthrow.
The good news is he showed signs of progress coming into this year. Against the Packers on Sunday night, he especially showcased it in the first half. Watch this 31-yard completion to Taylor Gabriel.
For the first half, Trubisky’s footwork was on point and he delivered some solid throws with this being one of them. Where things went off-kilter was in the second half. The quarterback admitted after the game that he started getting some happy feet in the pocket and it led to some big missed opportunities for big plays.
That’s the hardest challenge to overcome. Maintaining consistent mechanics with all that mayhem swirling around you. It takes time to learn and get comfortable with. Something that only comes with relentless practice and experience. Hard as it may be to accept, Bears nation needs to let the kid figure it out.
