The Chicago Bears offense is not getting off to the start they'd planned this year. Everything seemed to set up for them. All their starters were returning for a second year in the system. Players were healthy. Most importantly Mitch Trubisky was entering his third year. After a strong finish to 2018, optimism was high that he was poised to take the next step. Instead, as has become routine for tortured Bears fans over the years, their quarterback finds himself floundering.
Through the first two weeks, the Bears are 28th in passing offense. Trubisky has thrown for just 328 yards and an interception. His failure to even throw a single touchdown pass is a perfect illustration of how much he's struggling. This has inevitably led many to point the fingers. Who is responsible for this? Many of course blame Trubisky himself. His history continues to be marred by an inability to perform against good defenses consistently. Others though are blaming his head coach.
Some think Matt Nagy hasn't done enough to help his young quarterback. His play calling is too conservative. He isn't getting Trubisky in rhythm with easier high percentage passes. So what is the truth? Jeff Hughes of Da Bears Blog got an interesting answer from a professional scout. Hughes has proven in previous instances to have strong connections around the league, so it was interesting to see their conversation.
Me: What did you see with Trubisky?
Him: The game is not slowing down for him the way it should be. Bears better hope it does.
Me: Is it correctable quickly?
Him: If Nagy can’t correct it, no one can.
It's clear Mitch Trubisky is the problem and not Nagy
The assessment may come across brief, but the few words texted provide a crystal clear picture. Nobody believes that Nagy is the source of the issues here. His play calling, while not perfect, has been more than adequate to get the Bears passing game going. It is Trubisky who has consistently failed to execute them so far this season. He just isn't hitting on any big throws. Of the 24 he's thrown past 10 yards so far in 2019, only six of them have ended up as completions.
Here's a play that perfectly illustrates the frustration. It's 1st down. Trubisky takes the snap and goes play action. The fake does its job. He gets plenty of time from the offensive line. Taylor Gabriel streaks across the middle and then shifts up the field to pop wide open. There is nobody in Trubisky's face. This should be a gimme for an NFL quarterback. Instead, the Bears QB airmails it.
This isn't a unique play either. Trubisky does this sort of thing a lot and it is beyond frustrating to watch. Nobody can be certain what the exact problem is. Yet what the scout says is true. Things still seem to be moving too fast on the field for him to process. He often comes off reads too slowly and doesn't see things with enough clarity. This has led to throwing balls late and often into tight coverage. There is only so much Nagy and his staff can do. Trubisky just makes even the most routine throws look daunting.
The NFL season is one of the shortest in professional sports, which is why each week carries a lot of weight. The Bears odds of capturing their first Super Bowl in over 30 years rests heavily on Trubisky, according to NFL Betting NJ.
Could this change? Anything is possible. The next three weeks may tell the story. Chicago plays some of the worst pass defenses in the league over that stretch including Washington (25th) and Oakland (32nd). If Trubisky can't get going against them? Then the Bears will know they have some decisions to make.
