You know Mitch Trubisky had a pretty good day when he makes so many good throws, one gets lost in the shuffle.
“The one that never got talked about — the best throw of the game,” Bears coach Matt Nagy said Monday, “was the one he threw to A-Rob [Allen Robinson] down the left sideline when he got hit. Not a lot of guys make that throw. And he stood in there and made the throw and A-Rob made a hell of a catch.”
Nagy was referring to a 33-yard pass play from Trubisky to Robinson in the third quarter in which Trubisky threw off his back foot just before he was hit by Lions defensive end Trey Flowers. Considering that Robinson beat Lions Pro Bowl cornerback Darius Slay with a reaching grab, it was an even more impressive great-throw/great-catch than the more celebrated 18-yard touchdown pass from Trubisky to tight end Ben Braunecker in the final minute of the first half.
Nagy said the Trubisky-to-Robinson play is one that gives him confidence Trubisky’s success against the Lions can be sustained.
“Just seeing that,” Nagy said. “When everybody does what they’re suppose to do, it’s good because when 11 guys do their job, then he’s able to be better at his job — that’s what you take away from it. Because if just one guy messes up a little bit, then sometimes it goes back to the quarterback.”
Therein lies the quandary of Trubisky’s development that has hit a road block this season — every piece has to be in place for him to succeed. A negative play, a protection mishap, an unscouted look, more than 10 yards to go for a first down, a bad snap — almost anything that alters the plan throws Trubisky off his game.
A quality quarterback can overcome adversity to make something out of nothing. A great one can turn a bad play into a big one — inspiring his teammates and demoralizing his opponents in a flash. Trubisky has the mobility and athletic ability to make those plays, but isn’t there yet. His best success this season has happened in comfort zones — with the offense on a rare roll of continuity against bottom-five defenses.
On Sunday, Trubisky hrew three touchdown passes in three consecutive drives against a Lions defense ranked 31st in total yards and 30th in passing yards; He had a similar flurry against the Redskins in Week 3 — three touchdown passes in three consecutive drives against a Redskins defense ranked 30th in total yards and 25th in passing yards.
That accounts for six of his eight touchdown passes. The other two were acknowledged “garbage time” touchdowns in a blowout loss to the Saints on Oct. 20 at Soldier Field.
Against the Lions, Trubisky had three low snaps from Cody Whitehair, who was playing his first game at center since last season. Trubisky scrambled for an incomplete pass on one; was sacked on another; and scrambled for a three-yard gain on another — the last one a modestly encouraging positive play out of a mishap.
“Throughout the beginning of the season, there haven’t been many of those using his legs,” Nagy said. “[Sunday], you saw at least three where he used his legs in [challenging] situations, whether it was a snap or somebody ran a wrong route. So now you’ve got got to ad-lib and there were a couple of plays … it might have been a three-yard gain, but it’s better than a four-yard loss.”
To their credit, neither Trubisky nor Nagy nor quarterbacks coach Dave Ragone were celebrating Trubisky’s 131.0 passer rating against the Lions — with three touchdowns but only 173 yards — as a revelatory event. It was encouraging, but left a lot more to prove. Make that throw to Robinson when Aaron Donald is bearing down on you or hanging on to you, and the Bears might have a Trubisky event they can truly celebrate.
