The Bears FINALLY give the people what they want -- Mitch Trubisky
SOLDIER FIELD -- The Bears rookie quarterback had already reached the mythical level of “last name only” status before he even took the first snap of his career. Trubisky. That’s the name that every Bears fan is hoping they see behind center for years to come, effectively cleansing their memory of the false prophets that came before him.
After a plethora (30 to be exact) of quarterbacks we’d love to forget- four dreadful weeks of being force fed the high-priced, statue-esq, Mike Glennon, who never showed any signs of being a competent starter in the NFL, the Bears finally decided to take the “O’Jays” advice and give the people what they want.
Monday night versus the Vikings of Minnesota was officially “Mitch-A-Palooza” and it seems everybody- from the fans to the coaching staff- had the fever! A quarterback making plays outside of the pocket, a fake punt play-call that lead to a touchdown, a double option to Trubisky for a 2-point conversion that was a thing of beauty, and a tipped pass that resulted in a touchdown had Bears fans everywhere asking themselves… Whose Bears are these?
Nevermind the truck load of penalties that the Bears racked up, dropped passes that should have been completed, questionable play-calling that has plagued the coaching staff, or that interception Trubisky threw on the Bears most important drive of the game, those all now seem like fixable problems thanks to the biggest takeaway from last night's 20-17 loss that sent them to 1-4… The Chicago Bears have themselves a quarterback… and he’s already earning the respect of his players.
“I thought he was really good. He extended plays for us, made plays downfield, made plays with his legs, put us in position to win that game. What we need to do is be better, collectively, around him.” said tight end Zach Miller when asked about his quarterback's first career start. “Too many presnap penalties, too many plays breaking down technique – 50-something-yard run for a touchdown called back. I think he did everything he could for us to win that game. I’m excited for his future.” he continued.
Zack told you no lies. Dropped passes and untimely penalties made this a game that the Bears didn’t deserve to win but Trubisky, in true leadership form, took the L right on the chin and told his guys that this one was on him. “Just taking ownership. I feel like that’s what a quarterback is supposed to do. That’s what I’ve been doing my whole life – you just take it.”
Kendall Wright, who has had to tolerate playing with Mike Glennon for 4 weeks, made no excuses. “He was calm; he was cool. We can’t put him in those positions though. We had plenty of opportunities to win that game before the last minutes. We had plenty of chances in that game to win it early on.”
The optimism that the team expressed postgame, even after a loss, was a clear sign that the fans weren’t the only ones craving a change at the quarterback position. “I think our guys feel it. They feel his presence.” said Head Coach John Fox. “For a first outing, I thought he was really good. I know his teammates feel the same way. He’ll just get better with time.”
It’s refreshing to hear John Fox, who usually uses his time at the podium to skate circles around reporters with typical “Coach Talk”, offer something of substance, but having a quarterback you genuinely believe in will do that to you. He offered up high praise when asked about what lies ahead for the rookie QB, ““He’s got what it takes. There’s no doubt in my mind. For a first game, I go back to watching guys like Montana in his first game. I’ve seen a few of them. I’m not making comparisons at this point. But he will do nothing but get better.”
Holy crap! The Bears have themselves a quarterback.
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