We Haven't Yet Grasped How Drastically Mitch Trubisky Has Improved

It was incredible to hear some people declare that Mitch Trubisky was a bust back in October. The guy had just begun playing and they were sure he was a wasted draft pick. Why? How could they reach that conclusion so fast? In truth there are a variety of factors. One of the biggest was the play of Deshaun Watson in Houston. The former Clemson star went on a tear for a long stretch, throwing 18 touchdowns in just six starts. Everybody was ready to proclaim him King of Football and by default that made Trubisky a bad football player. Have people forgotten this is not how the sport works. Not every player develops that quickly. Watson had so many advantages from his extensive experience at Clemson to an excellent supporting cast and offensive coaching staff. Trubisky was a hard worker with a clear intent to be great, but it's easy to forget he was drafted earlier for a reason. Teams that select that high aren't as good. The Bears had faith that in the long run he could become everything they hoped for and more. All it would require is work, perseverance and some patience.

Mitch Trubisky improvement has been lost amidst the losing

Typically the only way to make fans understand a football argument is with numbers. If that's what they want, then that's what they'll get. Trubisky looked every bit like a rookie through his first four starts this year. Everybody was concerned at that point if the pick was a mistake. Then after the bye week the attention level on his progress seemed to ebb. Why? Namely it was the crippling losses to the Packers and Eagles. Those two defeats were difficult to stomach. At the same time they helped to masked just how fast the young Bears QB was improving. Let the data explain.

First 4 Games:

• 49.72 completion percentage
• 129 yards per game
• 2 TDs
• 2 INTs
• 2.75 sacks per game
• 75.7 quarterback rating

Last 5 Games:

• 65.93 completion percentage
• 199.2 yards per game
• 4 TDs
• 2 INTs
• 2.4 sacks per game
• 90.6 quarterback rating

If the stats aren't enough to sway people, all they have to do is watch the tape. The Bengals game featured a list of plays that showed how far Trubisky has come. One in particulate took place midway through the third quarter. In Bengals territory, the Bears were 1st and 10 at the 35-yard line. Anxious to knock them out of field goal range, Cincinnati decided to bring pressure with the blitz. They managed to get a free runner right in Trubisky's face. A month ago that likely would've resulted in a sack. Instead it led to this. [video width="1280" height="720" mp4="https://www.sportsmockery.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Mitchell-Trubisky-Leads-His-Team-to-a-Big-Win-vs.-Cincy-Bears-vs.-Bengals-Wk-14-Player-HLs-1.mp4"][/video] That's an NFL throw in every sense. He read the blitz, waited until the last possible second and delivered the ball where the open man would be. It was perfectly executed. To this this is the same young man who could barely complete half his passes earlier in the year. Presuming the Bears improve their coaching and receiving situations in the months to come, only better things could be on the horizon. So yeah. Maybe it's best to let this thing play out before jumping to conclusions.