Is Chicago Bears QB Trubisky ready for his first NFL road test?
Chicago Bears rookie quarterback Mitch Trubisky takes his show on the road for the first time Sunday against the Ravens in Baltimore, looking to improve on his debut, a 20-17 loss to the Minnesota Vikings at Soldier Field.
Trubisky said of his Monday Night Football performance: "It wasn't bad. I would grade myself average, below average. I'm pretty hard on myself."
The Ravens' defense also could be pretty hard on Trubisky. It's an experienced crew led by 15-year NFL outside linebacker Terrell Suggs and 11-year safety Eric Weddle. The Ravens are second in interception percentage, fourth in third-down efficiency and ninth in passing yards allowed.
Despite a modest 60.1 passer rating in his first game, Trubisky has created a buzz among fans desperate for a quarterback capable of leading the Bears back to respectability after a playoff drought of six years, going on seven.
"Being here since 2013, I've definitely understood the obsession with the quarterback position in this town," Bears guard Kyle Long said. "Mitch is a young guy with a lot of talent, and this is a town that's hungry for success in their sports, especially football.
"They see a beacon of hope and light with Mitch Trubisky. It's my job, and the guys around me, to keep that beacon of light nice and shiny and keep him upright."
Offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains hopes to see the entire offense support the talented but inexperienced quarterback. There is much room for improvement on an offense that is third from the bottom of the league in scoring.
"My biggest concern is to make sure the other 10 guys around him are doing their jobs," Loggains said. "This kid's going to be special."
Trubisky knows the difficulty factor increases away from home, and he has attacked the challenge by working hard on the practice field and in the film room on a short week.
"Going to Baltimore will be a good challenge for us," he said. "Just got to get ready for a hostile crowd and everything that comes with that. So we need to be even more crisp in our operation and our communication in the huddle and at the line of scrimmage."
Trubisky completed just 48 percent of his passes (12 of 25) in his first NFL regular-season action, and the Bears' offense converted only 25 percent of its third-down chances. The league average is 39.8 percent.
He also lost a fumble the only time he was sacked (from the blind side). He was intercepted late when he forced a throw into coverage.
Trubisky knows he's a work in progress and needs to improve.
But, like Loggains, Trubisky's teammates have referred to him as special. How can they know after just one start?
"It's not after one start," Loggains said. "It's going through the draft process and evaluating hard, getting to know the kid, watching him practice, watching him interact with his teammates.
"You walk in the locker room, and the first thing you see is him helping (guard) Josh Sitton taking his shoulder pads off. That kind of humbleness. He's a unique kid."
That selfless behavior, says Trubisky, is more than the responsibility that comes with the position he plays and his draft status. It's the type of person he wants to be.
"It's important, and it's not really about being a quarterback," he said. "It's just who you are as a person, just wanting to help people.
"The type of leader I am is: 'How can I serve my teammates?' (It's) just being there for them. That's just how I was raised. That's all I know. It's nothing out of the ordinary for me. It's just how I go about my day to day.
"Be there for my teammates and hopefully they know that and reciprocate it on the field."
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