Experts and armchair GMs have done everything in their power to attack Mitch Trubisky since his rookie season. People have searched for reasons why the fervor against him is so strong. The running belief is it’s because he had the audacity to be chosen ahead of Deshaun Watson and Patrick Mahomes. Two guys who had rabid fan bases in college that carried over into the NFL. To see this intruder with only one year of starting experience get picked first? It was an insult to them.
The fact Watson and Mahomes have had outstanding bursts of production over the past two years while Trubisky has only improved steadily doesn’t help. For every outstanding play he’s made in the past two years, there has been one that can make you cringe. Yet rather than chalk it up to a young quarterback learning the speed and complexities of the NFL, many have leaped right to the conclusion that he’s a bust.
This has made it beyond easy to miss something that has already begun to emerge about Trubisky. Something that can make him truly special if the rest of his game continues to blossom. Brett Kollmann of SB Nation discovered it during some intensive tape study. For all his maddening inconsistencies, Trubisky always seems to step up right when the Bears need him most.
Mitch Trubisky has proven ice cold in high-pressure situations
This is something that began to appear as far back as his rookie season. There were constant flashes that Trubisky just had this switch. When he flipped it late in games, he’d often produce a money play to give his team a chance to win. People just don’t remember a lot of them because they’re often been ruined but the utter dumpster fire that is the Bears kicking games. Shall we review?
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- The 4th and 16 scramble against Detroit. Connor Barth missed the tying field goal.
- A 6:21 drive in the 4th quarter against Green Bay to make it 23-17 with just 2:39 left. Kyle Fuller drops the clinching INT and defense gives up a 75-yard TD on the next play.
- Hit Anthony Miller for a 29-yard TD with 3:17 left in Miami to take a 28-21 lead. Defense gives up a 75-yard tying score on the next play.
- Came one yard from forcing overtime on a 54-yard strike to Kevin White against the Patriots.
- Accounted for all but 6 of the 45 yards on the TD drive that clinched the division title against Green Bay (in the 4th quarter).
- Engineered a 5:37 late drive to drain the clock against San Francisco. Allen Robinson kills it with a bad fumble.
- Hits two huge passes for 33 yards with 44 seconds left in the playoff game against Philadelphia. Cody Parkey misses the winning 43-yard field goal.
Rather than kill Trubisky for his apparent shortcomings, maybe it’s time to get on his teammates for constantly ruining what should’ve been spectacular clutch moments with their own mind-numbing mistakes. This kid can play, and he can do it under pressure. That is something worth having when a team is thinking Super Bowl.