The accumulation of Mitch Trubisky’s struggles has been wearing him down, and Bears coach Matt Nagy made an unusual suggestion to try to turn that around.
Rather than watch solely the scouting film from the loss to the Chargers, which is shot from a distance and used to analyze formations and player movement, he told him to watch the broadcast as well. With a million camera angles, close-ups and high-definition picture, Trubisky got to see his demeanor.
“That told me a lot about myself,” he said. “It was weird watching it because I really didn’t feel like it was me. It was kind of a shell of myself. I’m going to get back to really leading in a way that I know how.”
The problems of sullen disposition and poor performance are inextricable, though. It’s going to be virtually impossible for Trubisky to be upbeat and spur teammates if he keeps playing this badly.
It’s also gotten increasingly difficult for Nagy to defend.
While he has remained steadfastly committed to Trubisky, there’s a limit to how much cover he can provide without being disingenuous. He’s been more transparent about his shortfalls recently, but never makes him the scapegoat.
The Chargers game began slipping from the Bears with Trubisky’s interception and lost fumble in the fourth quarter. He has an 81.9 passer rating over his last two games, and that was boosted by garbage-time touchdowns against the Saints.
There hasn’t been much good from Trubisky in what was supposed to be a breakout season. And as the team tracks well below championship expectations, he’s bearing the bulk of the backlash.
“He’s at a point right now where it’s been a lull,” Nagy said. “It’s been a real lull for him. He understands that. I don’t think that’s anything out of the ordinary, emotionally, to know.
“A lot of times in that position, what do we all do? You put pressure on yourself because you want to do as great as you can, and when the success isn’t there, then everything goes to that position. Right or wrong, that’s just what happens.”
If the “lull” continues, however, the case to give backup Chase Daniel a shot will strengthen. Nagy said this week he is being patient with Trubisky, but also holding him accountable and noted, “we’re getting close” to the point where he needs to show substantive progress.
While Nagy has repeatedly shot down the idea of going to Daniel, the Bears are clawing to keep their playoff hope alive and Trubisky has certainly contributed to them ranking 27th in points, 29th in total offense and 29th in passing.
Trubisky’s 81.4 passer rating sits 27th among the 33 quarterbacks with enough attempts to qualify. All five of his touchdown passes came during one quarter against the Redskins and the meaningless final minutes of the loss to New Orleans. His yards per game average is down nearly 50 from last season, and it’s coming up on one year since his last 300-yard passing game.
That would dampen anyone’s attitude. Trubisky is fighting human nature.
“I watched the game to really see my facial expressions, my body language, and what I’m really doing during the game... and how my teammates see me,” he said. “That helped me see... how I can be even more positive on the sidelines — be more vocal, more hand gestures, and just get back to being myself.
“Especially through times of adversity, they’re always looking towards the leaders. They’re always looking towards me and seeing how we’re going to react, how we’re going to bounce back and be positive... You’ve got to be excited for the opportunity. You’ve got to continue to come work and have fun.”
The only way for this to become enjoyable, though, is to play better and win. Trubisky is sliding dangerously close to a point where it’ll be too late to make something of this season.
