Mitch Trubisky is responsible for a lot of the issues he is facing in 2019. His own inconsistent play is largely under his control. That said, it’s remarkable how much of a victim the young quarterback has become due to the failures of others. No, not the offensive line blocking or the receivers catching the ball. Not even the defense surrendering the occasional 4th quarter lead. If there is one thing that has come to define Trubisky’s legacy in Chicago?
It’s the kickers.
Kevin Fishbain of The Athletic has always been great at finding wild stats. He delivered a doozy recently when he revealed that Trubisky has seen more potential game-winning or tying drives end in failure because of a missed field goal than successful ones. All told the Bears are 2-of-6 in these situations since he took over as the starter in 2017.
It’s hard not to wonder how differently Mitch might be viewed today had the majority of those kicks been converted. Probably the two that the team would like a do-over the most are the misses in 2018. That overtime loss to Miami ended up being the difference in the Bears not securing a playoff bye, which put them on a collision course with Philadelphia. Then there is the iconic double doink in the final seconds of that wild card game. One people will remember for that moment rather than Trubisky driving the team into position for the win.
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Kicker woes have accelerated Mitch Trubisky downfall
Would Trubisky be viewed differently if those kicks had been made? There’s no debating here. The answer is yes. His reputation as a late-game hero would be considerably stronger and fans might be more inclined to stay patient through these recent struggles because he’s shown an ability to save his best for when the team needs him most. Sadly this is the cold reality of football. Sooner or later you have to put your fate in the hands of another.
When that other fails to do their job it becomes your failure too.
It’s not fair but that is the reality of team sports. Trubisky hasn’t been perfect during his tenure in Chicago. One could argue if he’d played better he wouldn’t have needed kickers to decide his fate at all. While somewhat true, the reality is a young player did enough to give his team a chance to win six times and the kickers only delivered twice. If this season is truly the swan song for Trubisky in Chicago, that harsh knowledge will follow him for the rest of his career.
