The Chicago Bears are at a crossroads. Ten games remain in their 2019 season. The team is 3-3 and their offense is among the worst in the NFL. A big reason for that is their ongoing struggles at quarterback. After his promising second year in 2018, Mitch Trubisky has taken a significant step back through the first six games this year. He seems overwhelmed, overly cautious, unwilling to run, and plays not to lose more than play to win. Fans who were on the fence about him already reached their breaking point last Sunday.
Trubisky was completely ineffective for most of the afternoon against the New Orleans Saints. Not until the final minutes when they backed off their coverages in prevent did he put together any drives. It was the latest proof that Trubisky still lacks that defining factor that separates talented throwers of the football from professional NFL passers. This has led to rampant speculation about what the Bears might do in the coming days, weeks, and months to fix the problem.
They basically have two options. Continue to search for ways on how they can unlock Trubisky or begin seeking out an alternative. Most are already focused on the latter, but the Bears might not be there yet. They still believe the 25-year old has what it takes to snap out of his funk. It’s a matter of finding out what they must do to make that happen. In situations like this, sometimes a history lesson can help.
There is one name who went through what Trubisky is currently, and things turned out pretty good for him.
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Terry Bradshaw offers possible road map for Mitch Trubisky
See if this sounds familiar. A kid from a less populated community attends a college not known for being a football powerhouse. He puts up great numbers while there and becomes a top pick in the NFL draft. If anybody understands the story of Trubisky, it would be Terry Bradshaw. The four-time Super Bowl champion and Pro Football Hall of Famer is now one of the most revered quarterbacks in league history. However, for a long time, most felt that he was a major draft bust. Just like Trubisky.
Through his first five seasons in the NFL, Bradshaw was a disaster. He completed barely 48% of his passes for 48 touchdowns and 84 interceptions. The guy’s confidence was completely in the toilet. Then, late in the 1974 season, something finally clicked. Bradshaw led the team on a playoff run that saw him post a 94.9 passer rating in three games, clinching their first Super Bowl title.
So what happened?
For the longest time, there was a lot of friction between Bradshaw and the Steelers coaching staff. It felt like they were continuously trying to reign him in and turn him into a game manager. Through those first seasons, his average yards per pass attempt was 6.1. That philosophy seemed to change in the postseason. The average rocketed up to 7.9. Pittsburgh finally allowed him to play his preferred style of football.
This mentality continued into the subsequent seasons. Bradshaw stayed aggressive and finished with a 53.7% completion rate and 164 touchdowns to 129 interceptions. A substantial improvement.
This is where the Bears sit with Trubisky.
He’s playing scared just like Bradshaw was. Through five games this season, he has averaged just 5.2 yards per pass. Is it any coincidence that his 2018 run saw that number at 7.4. It’s clear that Trubisky is not a game manager. He is far better when he’s allowed to play free and be aggressive. Sure it might lead to some ugly mistakes at times, but it will also get him to play with less restrictions. He’ll stop thinking so much and just play football.
It is also worth noting that when Trubisky averages 7.0 yards or more per pass attempt in a game, he’s thrown 23 touchdowns to just two interceptions so far in his career. Just something to think about.
