The center of the Chicago Bears world should be their resurgent defense and how great it became virtually overnight. To be fair there’s definitely a buzz in the air. Fans are excited again, and yet it feels like they’re holding back somehow. The full force of this massive fan base hasn’t completely bought into this team. The reason for this is easy to see. It’s Mitch Trubisky.
Fans of today aren’t naive. They know this league is all about the quarterbacks. The sheer volume of rules installed to protect them borders on the ridiculous. If you don’t have a QB, it’s hard to win in this league. That’s why so many people are holding back on this team. They haven’t seen enough from Trubisky to believe yet.
Through three games the 24-year old has thrown for 591 yards, two touchdowns, and three interceptions. Given the hype around the new offensive system installed by head coach Matt Nagy, this isn’t the start people were hoping for. Already some are prepared to declare Trubisky a bust. He’ll never pick up the offense.
If they knew anything about his background? They’d realize they’re jumping the gun by a wide margin.
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Mitch Trubisky has overcome slow starts in the past
In 2012, Trubisky won the coveted honor of Mr. Ohio Football. It’s given to the best high school football player in the state. Considering he beat out Kareem Hunt for that honor, it’s a pretty impressive accomplishment. What many don’t remember about that great season is how it started. Truth be told for a split second some wondered if the QB was faltering.
Through the first three games, during which Mentor High went 2-1, Trubisky threw six touchdowns and five interceptions. The third game was an ugly 48-21 loss to their bitter rival St. Ignatius. Trubisky barely completed over 41% of his passes. It was a time for reflection. Would he cave to the pressure or work his way out?
It proved to be the latter. Over the final 11 games he played that year, Trubisky threw 38 touchdowns and just seven interceptions. He carried Mentor all the way to the state championship semifinals.
It’s also true of his college days too, though to a lesser extent. His first year at North Carolina? He threw four interceptions in his first 78 career passes. For those who care to remember, as a starter in 2016 he threw 447 passes. So if he kept that interception rate and had been starting as a freshman? He’d have thrown 22 interceptions. He went on to throw 36 touchdowns and six interceptions the rest of his college career.
Even last year Trubisky showed that same resilience
As a rookie, Trubisky was less than impactful his first four games in 2017. He threw for 512 yards (128 per game), two touchdowns, two interceptions and completed 49.72% of his passes. Over the final eight games, he threw for 1,681 yards (210.12 per game), five touchdowns, five interceptions, and a 64.18 completion percentage. He also ran for two additional touchdowns.
It’s not a dramatic rise in productivity but it’s tangible for sure. That he was able to do that with the limited surrounding cast and questionable coaching he had? That should offer some encouragement. History shows that he improves as the season goes along. He’s not the type to be undone by early struggles.
