This isn’t the Mitch Trubisky we came to know last year. Despite Matt Nagy insisting that the young quarterback had made strides in understanding the offense, it feels like he’s taken a giant step back. There are plenty of concerns to cover such as his slow field vision, constantly inaccurate passing, and often erratic decision-making. Yet the most baffling thing that people can’t understand is the disappearance of his running ability.
Through his first four full games last season, Trubisky ran the ball himself 17 times for 117 yards and a touchdown. So far in 2019, he’s run it just five times for 21 yards. How can this be? It’s not like he suffered an injury or got old overnight. He runs with the same speed he did last year. Yet he hasn’t done it much. Trubisky explained that defenses are working hard to spy on him more this year and keep him in the pocket, yet that shouldn’t create such a drastic decline in production.
Teams spy Russell Wilson all the time and he still has 178 yards and three touchdowns already this season. It’s something else at play here. Part of it is a seeming change in mindset as Trubisky explained during his most recent press conference.
“I’m trying to be a pass-first guy. Running when it’s open. It hasn’t been there. So just keep looking for it but doing my job as a passer first.”
According to that, it seems he’s got it in his head that he needs to focus on throwing the ball and avoid running unless absolutely necessary. He makes it seem like the opportunities haven’t been. There’s one problem though.
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They have.
Mitch Trubisky is way too focused on throwing the ball
One can understand what Trubisky is trying to accomplish. He wants to morph himself into a better pocket passer. So it seems like he’s forcing himself to avoid running and find the open receivers. While that is the ultimate end game for any quarterback, the fact is this move has caused Trubisky to rob the offense of one of its biggest weapons. Teams spy him because they fear his legs.
By refusing to use them more often, he’s playing right into their hands. It’s not like there haven’t been opportunities either. Here’s one in the opener against Green Bay. After stepping up in the pocket to avoid pressure, he has a wide open lane to his right and easily could’ve beaten the closest defender to the edge. Instead he throws it back across his body for what should’ve been an interception.
Here’s another against New Orleans. Trubisky runs a bootleg off play action. Taylor Gabriel carries the defensive back deep, leaving just one Saints defender against three Bears blockers. If he recognizes the right side of the field is completely bare, he picks up the first down with ease and maybe more. Nope. Just throws into triple coverage instead.
It’s these sorts of decisions that are hurting the offense more than helping Trubisky get better. Sure, running the ball a lot didn’t advance his prowess as a passer but it did lead to a lot more positive plays. It also helped to open up the running game. Defenses no longer fear him running, and this has allowed them to crash down on the backs more often, limited positive plays. Spies or no spies, Trubisky has to start utilizing one of his best physical tools before the team loses faith in him completely.
