3 observations from QB Mitchell Trubiksy's gritty display against Chicago Bears in NFL preseason
Buffalo Bills QB Mitchell Trubiksy, a first-round pick in 2017, returned to Chicago for the first time since the Chicago Bears released him.
NFL fans were excited to see Mitchell Trubiuksy's 'revenge' game as he would see a ton of action in this Week 2 NFL preseason game. Pre-game, Mitchell Trubiksy and 2021 first-round pick QB Justin Fields greeted each other with open arms and no ill will.
Soldier Field welcomed Mitchell Trubiksy with mostly cheers. He played in seven series over two quarters, and led the Bills to 34 points in a 41-15 win. Here are three observations from Mitchell Trubisky's performance against his former team.
#1 The Chicago Bears front office and coaching staff dropped the ball on Mitchell Trubiksy
Mitchell Trubisky was likely drafted way too soon as the second overall pick in 2017, but could still have gone in the first round. The Bears put him in as the starter four games into his rookie year, going 4-8 with seven TDs and seven INTs.
In his second year, new head coach Matt Nagy and GM Ryan Pace were going to build around Mitchell Trubiksy. He got the Bears to the playoffs, but they lost in the wildcard round. For the season, he had 3,223 passing yards, 24 TDs and 12 INTs.
In 2019, Chicago missed the playoffs, and Mitchell Trubiksy had 3,138 passing yards, 17 TDs and ten INTs. In 2020, QB Nick Foles was acquired in a trade for competition. Mitchell Trubiksy was benched during the season and only played in ten games for 2,055 passing yards, 16 TDs and eight INTs.
Three OCs in four years is also never good for a young QB, and neither is constant QB changes, in a way. It rocks their confidence and mental state. His completion percentage got better as his career went on, as he had fewer INTs as well.
Another example of the Bears mishandling Trubiksy and playing him too early was him going 20-of-28 for 221 yards and a TD while commanding the offense masterfully against them.
#2 Mitchell Trubiksy is building a case for a second chance with new-found confidence
With OC Brian Daboll's playcalling and schemes, Mitchell Trubiksy was able to showcase his best performance in years. It's still just the preseason, but it's a huge positive for the QB. He never looked calm in the pocket in 2020 with Chicago, but he was cool and collected against most of the Bears' starters.
The accuracy was there, but Mitchell Trubiksy still lacked true deep-ball skills. Being able to score 34 points on seven drives with just one punt is an impressive feat, though. He's already looking like a top-10 backup QB in the NFL, and the Bills should try to keep him around long term.
#3 Chicago weren't the best team for Mitchell Trubisky, and he is a QB who needs the right system to succeed
Part of Mitchell Trubiksy's success against Chicago was OC Brian Daboll's genius playcalling. With HC Matt Nagy and a variety of OCs, they never called good plays that reflected Trubiksy's skill set well. He was top 20 in air yards in 2019, which was too high for someone who struggles downfield.
Matt Nagy is also an inferior play-caller to Daboll, so Mitchell Trubiksy is reaping the benefits. The Bills are one of the top rising Super Bowl contenders, giving Trubiksy a great offense to work with.
The Pittsburgh Steelers, Las Vegas Raiders and Philadelphia Eagles could come knocking at the end of the season if the player continues to improve.
Also Check Out: Complete Chicago Bears NFL Preseason Schedule 2021