June 12, 2020: Mitch Talks

I was driving home from work on Friday and flipped on sports radio. I usually listen to the Score over ESPN. On this afternoon, they were replaying a Mitch Trubisky press conference from earlier in the day. I didn’t get to hear the entire interview, but I heard enough. I heard enough to be that much more ready for Bears season to begin.

We don’t know if Mitch will be the starting QB; many folks think he won’t. I’m not sure how it will go down, but I do feel like it’s in his hands. He needs to come out and kick ass; he needs to grab that starting job with a stranglehold. He can’t look anything like last year; he needs to look more like the previous year. I still think he has a chance to redeem himself. From listening to Mitch talk, I think he understands all of this.

I’ve been over a lot of this before. I like how the Bears have addressed the QB situation. By bringing in Foles, we have an insurance policy. By doing this, plus by not picking up the 5th year option for Mitch, we have lit a fire under Trubisky. Again, Mitch seems to get this. He was not surprised his option wasn’t picked up; after last year, how could it? He knows what he has to do. Performing like he did last year is unacceptable; if he does that, he has to know he’s out. In fact, he said he’s going to do everything to set himself up for his next contract wherever that is; he said he wants to be here, and will give it everything he’s got to succeed here. Mitch said the right things. Of course, actions speak louder.

When they asked him the reasons for his down year, he responded with health and attention to details. I do think people tend to forget that he was hurt last year; he started crappy, he got hurt, he came back and was up and down. It was a very disjointed year for him health wise. I know we don’t want to give him any excuses, but the fact is he was hurt; this doesn’t explain his crappy start though. Why so crappy? I think that leads to his second comment and that attention to detail. I think Mitch, like a lot of the Bears, was drinking the kool aid heading into the season. They thought they’d step on the field and have another great regular season; they listened to a lot of those folks picking them to be in the mix for a Super Bowl, and believed it. It’s OK to believe it; it’s another thing to just think you just show up on the field to make that happen. I don’t think they were zoned in enough period. Mitch seemed to imply that the entire offense wasn’t zoned in. He didn’t push off the blame; he did say “especially him”. Although the QB is the focal point, and gets all the credit or blame, there are 10 other guys on that side of the ball. We know there were other issues besides Mitch.

Again, I’m not trying to make excuses for the guy; I’m just trying to look at it honestly. I was pissed when the Bears traded up to draft him; I preferred another QB. I wanted him to be that guy though; I was happy to see how he performed in 2018… 2019 not so much. I haven’t thrown in the towel with Mitch. I do think 2020 is make or break for Trubisky with the Bears. I do think he realizes this. I do think the Bears have covered themselves in case he does “break”. I’m ready to see it play out on the field. Bear Down!