Mitch Trubisky has tried for over two years to earn respect among the wider NFL community. Yet this hasn't happened. Granted, he's far better than the majority of quarterbacks the Chicago Bears have employed for the past several decades. That said, it an era where this position reigns supreme the franchise is still wallowing near the bottom, searching for answers to the greatest riddle its ever face. Some are already looking ahead to future possibilities, feeling Trubisky will never be the guy.
Is that fair after less than three seasons of work? Some say yes, others say no. The bottom line is the young QB is running out of time to prove he deserves to be the guy. There are 13 games left in 2019. Chicago has one of the best defenses in the NFL and an offense boasting enough talent to be successful. This team is thinking Super Bowl but that isn't possible unless he's able to raise his game high enough to where opponents give him respect.
Such things must be earned. Right now Trubisky hasn't. So what must change? There are various things that must be done. If people are looking for a particular stat that paints a clear picture though, here's one that should lay it all out. Trubisky needs to show that he can do more than simply pick on lesser opponents. That is to say, he has to start executing at a high level when the competition is at its best.
Mitch Trubisky is always the weak link against good defenses
The measure of a good quarterback is typically dictated by how they execute not so much against everybody, but against the best. It's easy enough to have good games against bad defenses. The true measure of excellence is what happens when the defenses are more talented and better coached. Evidence to this point doesn't flatter Trubisky. Between 2017 and 2018, the Bears quarterback played eight games against an opponent that finished the year with a top 10 defense.
He went 126-of-208 for 1,368 yards, six touchdowns, and six interceptions. Good for a 77.76 passer rating. By contrast, Patrick Mahomes played five games against top 10 defenses in 2018. He went 119-of-180 for 1,515 yards, 14 touchdowns, and three interceptions. This resulted in a 111.23 passer rating. To date, Trubisky has managed a passer rating over 100 just once in eight tries against a top 10 unit. That came against Detroit last year. A game where the Lions didn't have their best player in cornerback Darius Slay.
The point is until Trubisky delivers a signature performance against a truly good defense? People are going to doubt him. They'll see him as nothing more than an extension of Matt Nagy's system. Somebody who can improv some nice plays from time to time but isn't capable of executing at a high enough level to do more than annoy defenses who know their stuff. Playoff defenses. This is where he needs to get if he ever can.
