Mitchell Trubisky silenced his critics partially Monday night’s 31-15 Chicago Bears win over the Washington Redskins. Trubisky threw for 231 yards with three touchdowns and one interception in the win. The highlight of his night was a 36-yard touchdown pass to Taylor Gabriel, which was initially ruled an incomplete pass. The elite throw demonstrates how Trubisky has the talent but could be struggling from a mental game standpoint.
Through his three-year career, Trubisky has shown that he possesses the talent of an elite level quarterback but has struggled from a mental aspect. Some of his throws over his career are prime examples of that when he doesn’t think, he can make some incredible throws. For example, one stat that proves this already is that Trubisky is more accurate when he gets the ball out of his hand within three seconds.
When having to go through progressions if his first read isn’t there, the Bears quarterback has struggled to be efficient. In the team’s first two games this season, Trubisky had completed less than 60% of his passes. Although he improved against Washington Monday night, he still looked uneasy even when he threw his first touchdown pass to Gabriel. The Bears wide receiver had gotten free and it was him and Trubisky all alone on the far side of the field. Even being that wide open, Chicago’s quarterback was visibility unsure on whether to throw the ball or run it in for the score.
It was a completely different scenario on the third touchdown pass, where once the pocket collapse, Trubisky stepped up and threw the ball in the only spot that Gabriel could make a play on the ball. The difference from the first touchdown to the third one was that Trubisky didn’t have time to think.
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Back in 2017, Trubisky’s first NFL win came because he made an elite throw to set up a game-winning field goal in overtime against the Baltimore Ravens. On a 3rd and 11, on the Ravens 41-yard line, Trubisky stepped up to evade a sack and threw high over the middle to Kendall Wright to where only Wright could catch the ball. The play was good for 18-yards but only happened because of Trubisky’s ability to escape from sudden pressure and to place the ball where his receiver who was covered could get it.
Last season, there was another instance where Trubisky made an elite throw because he wasn’t thinking. In the team’s 38-31 loss to the New England Patriots. The Bears quarterback nearly tied the game when he launched a last-second 54-yard Hail Mary pass that was caught by Kevin White at the Patriots 1-yard line. It was an impressive throw because he managed to heave the ball over 60 yards, but due to the launch angle, he wasn’t able to get the ball in the end zone. With a defender in his face, Trubisky was forced to arch the ball rather than drive it which would have allowed him to get the ball to the end zone.
Against Denver a week and a half ago, his last pass of the game was the key play to set up Eddy Piniero’s game-winning kick. With seven seconds left in the game on a fourth and 15, Trubisky climbed the pocket to connect with Allen Robinson over the middle for 25 yards. Again, he made the play happen by avoiding pressure to find the right target in stride. The situation didn’t allow him to think, but to make the play that needed to be made.
The three-touchdown performance doesn’t mean Trubisky has overcome his shortcomings, but it is a step in the right direction. His accuracy and decision making still need a lot of work, but it may be more from a mental aspect than a physical aspect. When having no time to think he has made the big time throw when necessary but needs to find a way to do that on every throw.
