Mitch Trubisky has his doubters and they remain plentiful. Many still believe he was the one who held the team back even though evidence points in other directions. It’s felt that he just hasn’t proven he’s capable of being a guy who can carry the team on his back. Again, this despite notable evidence throughout much of 2018 showing otherwise.
Perhaps the best way to illustrate his value to the Chicago Bears is through numbers. Most have covered the fact that Trubisky had one of the most efficient passing seasons in franchise history. He had over 3,200 yards with 24 touchdowns, 12 interceptions, and a 95.4 quarterback rating. Not eye-popping numbers by regular NFL standards, but huge for this team.
If that isn’t enough to illustrate his promise, then maybe a more focused stat might help. Anybody who follows pro football knows that few determine the value of a quarterback more than 3rd down conversions. Yards and touchdowns mean plenty, but being able to sustain drives on the money downs is so underrated.
As it turns out, Trubisky was one of the best in football last year.
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Mitch Trubisky proved consistently great at converting on 3rd down
STATS.com covered every quarterback in the NFL last year. They tracked how times each one threw a pass on 3rd down and how many times they were successfully converted to move the chains. Unsurprisingly, league MVP Patrick Mahomes was at the top, converting 64-of-124 attempts (51.6%). What people will be shocked by is that Trubisky isn’t far behind.
Of the 12 quarterbacks listed who had at least 100 passing attempts on 3rd down in 2018, Trubisky ranked fifth, converting 48-of-107 (44.9%). For an idea, this was better than Drew Brees, Ben Roethlisberger, Derek Carr, Cam Newton, Russell Wilson, Tom Brady, and Aaron Rodgers. That is a fact. An undeniable and inescapable fact.
Nobody is saying Trubisky is a finished product. Far from it. He still has plenty to work on. Yet to say that he isn’t good at all? That simply isn’t true. He is good and has a chance to get a lot better as his experience and confidence within this Bears offense continues to grow.
