Foles vs. Trubisky is easily the most anticipated quarterback competition in team history. If for no other reason than the quality of talent involved. You have a former Super Bowl MVP doing battle with a former #2 overall pick. Both of these guys have shown they can play football at a high level. What the Chicago Bears are looking for is somebody who can do it more consistently in 2020. Hence the battle for the starting job.
What Bears fans aren’t sure about is what to expect. How will this thing play out? There are lots of variables involved, but guidelines do exist. A great source of information on this is the last notable competition the organization had at quarterback. This took place back in the summer of 1995. Veterans Erik Kramer and Steve Walsh were given a simple instruction by then-head coach Dave Wannstedt. The playing field was even. Whoever wanted the job was free to seize it.
Kramer had originally been “the guy” for the Bears the year before but suffered an injury a couple of games into the season. Walsh stepped in during his absence and went 8-3, reaching the playoffs. Then he delivered a monumental upset of the Vikings in Minnesota. This forced the Bears to hold the competition, which Kramer eventually won.
So how exactly did it play out and how might Foles vs. Trubisky look similar?
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Nick Foles vs. Mitch Trubisky will stick to a few key patterns
Big plays won’t decide it. Mistakes will.
Walsh lamented what happened to him years later about that competition. Why did he lose it despite his success the year before? He explained that it goes back to a lesson he learned in Dallas. One taught to him by the great coach Jimmy Johnson. It’s not the big plays that will catch the attention of coaches in training camp or the preseason. It’s the mistakes.
Not just interceptions and fumbles but also failing to hit open receivers, taking bad sacks, and making poor play adjustments. All of those problems haunted Walsh at bad times that August. In the end, it cost him his job as he was gone from the Bears by the end of that season. Kramer, who found his groove a just the right time, went on to have the best season a Bears QB has ever had.
“Some people did not know what to expect out of [the competition],Kramer said about it years later. “But Dave (Wannstedt) is somebody who gives you a chance. You do it or you don’t. It’s all on you. I feel like he set it up for fair competition.”
Expect a decision by the second half of the preseason
Head coach Matt Nagy has made one thing clear. This is not a decision he is going to rush. He will let the competition play out. For example, if Trubisky has a bad preseason debut while Foles plays well? That is not going to decide things. The Bears are likely to wait until at least the third preseason game before making anything official. That is how long it took for Kramer to finally separate himself from Walsh.
Knee-jerk reactions rarely lead to good decisions. The best thing for the Bears to do is gather as much data as possible. Use every camp practice and preseason game to make sure they’re picking the right guy. A lot of jobs could be on the line this year if they get it wrong. What’s the point to rushing things?
Don’t expect a quick hook
Last but not least, once the decision is made then expect Nagy to stand by it. The worst thing he can do is pull a quarterback at the first sign of struggling. It will only create doubt in their minds and the locker room about who the guy is. Sides will be chosen and that will lead to unhealthy disagreements. Kramer had a strong opening day in ’95 with a win over Minnesota, throwing three touchdowns.
The next week though, he struggled, throwing for an interception and also fumbling twice in a heartbreaking loss to Green Bay. A week later he completed less than 50% of his passes against a bad Tampa Bay team. It would’ve been easy for Wannstedt to consider making a change at that point. Instead, he stayed the course. Kramer ended up with 25 touchdowns and just eight interceptions over the final 13 games.
Whether it’s Foles or Trubisky, the Bears must have the courage and conviction to stay by their choice even through the tough times. Otherwise, what is the point of competition?