The Chicago Bears needed a big game from Mitch Trubisky if they were going to beat the Green Bay Packers on Sunday. They didn’t get it. The 26-year old managed just over 250 yards passing and an interception. This not counting two other throws that should’ve been intercepted. It was yet another performance that showed how toothless Trubisky is in the face of a good defense.
What makes it even worse is everything was set up for him to have a productive day. Why? His offensive line showed up in a big way. They gave up more than enough protection to make the throws he needed to make. According to Pro Football Focus, Trubisky was pressured just six times all game including just one sack. Only two of those pressures were deemed the responsibility of the blocking up front. A tremendous performance.
Mitch Trubisky was under pressure on only 6 of his 45 drop backs against the Packers
His offensive line was charged with only 2 pressures all gamehttps://t.co/1W0oRHY0Wv pic.twitter.com/Ew0x5xoM0E
— PFF CHI Bears (@PFF_Bears) January 4, 2021
Trubisky proved unequal to the moment.
He only completed one pass beyond 20 yards the entire game. His conservative approach despite the strong blocking reinforces how inadequate he’s actually been. This is not to disparage the work he did helping revive the Bears offense. Without his help, they don’t even get themselves in a position to make the playoffs. That being said, there have been calls for the team to consider extending him this offseason.
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This performance against Green Bay should pour some cold water on that idea. It was a reminder Trubisky hasn’t overcome his limitations. The deep accuracy, shaky decision-making, and inability to read complex coverages are still there. The Bears just did everything in their power to mask that. As usual, it wasn’t enough.
Mitch Trubisky owes the offensive line a ton of thanks
They’re a big reason why he’s even in this position, to begin with. The job line coach Juan Castillo did in shuffling the deck to find the right combination can’t be understated. Moving Germain Ifedi out to right tackle and inserting Sam Mustipher at center and Alex Bars at right guard changed everything. Cody Whitehair became a bulldozer at left guard and the efficiency of the group went through the roof. Trubisky was sacked just three times over his final three games of the season.
One positive out of all of this is the Bears may have good things happening on their line. Mustipher and Bars look like legitimate starters. Whitehair has played much better. On top of that, James Daniels will return next season. He was playing his best football before his unfortunate pectoral injury. So the interior of the offensive line is in good shape.
If they can upgrade the tackle spots? They could be in business moving forward.
Whether Mitch Trubisky is around to benefit from that is another story. All eyes on the looming playoff game against the New Orleans Saints. Their 5th-ranked pass defense is arguably even better than Green Bay’s. If he once again can’t answer the bell, then the Bears will have their answer. It’ll be time to end the experiment and start their search for a new quarterback.