Bearing down: More assertive Trubisky may just be saving his career
It's been a strange year for Mitch Trubisky.
One that included the Bears trading for Nick Foles in March, then seeing the fifth-year option on his contract declined by the team in May.
One that included getting benched despite the Bears starting 2-0.
One that included getting hurt during a loss to New Orleans on November 1.
Many figured that game against the Saints was the end of Trubisky in Chicago. No way could a player some saw as soft rebound, even if given another chance.
How wrong they all turned out to be.
Indeed, a strange year took a strange twist as a more vocal, more confident Trubisky returned to unlock this offense's potential.
Now, thanks to back-to-back victories, the fourth-year QB has put the Bears (7-7) in position to claim a playoff berth. He's done it with his arm and legs, of course, but also by speaking up and letting coaches know how they can best put his skillset to work.
And guess what? They're finally listening.
"I'm just trying to take control of my career and put it in the direction that I want to go in," Trubisky said Wednesday as the Bears prepared to play at Jacksonville on Sunday.
"Sometimes you've got to be a little more assertive and speak up for what you want to happen."
Head coach Matt Nagy said Trubisky's mettle and resiliency has taught everyone an awful lot.
"One of the biggest things in this whole story is him being able to stay positive through a negative situation," Nagy said. "He really has taken it on. He's put it completely on himself. … He's just making sure that he does everything he can to keep plugging away.
"It's taught me a lot in a lot of different ways."
Nagy has finally learned that allowing Trubisky to play to his strengths can have a profound effect on the offense. Defenses now must be wary of a recharged David Montgomery, a quarterback who is seeing the field clearly AND a quarterback who is not afraid to run.
Some good examples of the latter came during the Bears' second touchdown drive against Minnesota on Sunday.
• After Darnell Mooney scampered 16 yards on a sweep and Jimmy Graham gained 16 on a play-action pass, Trubisky ran a QB keeper that netted 8 more.
• Later, Trubisky used a hard count and got Minnesota to jump offsides on third-and-7. On the next play he saw a swath of open field and took off toward the end zone. Eschewing the slide, Trubisky barrelled into two defenders in an attempt to score. Trubisky was stopped at the 1, but the gutty run showed he's willing to lay his body on the line to pick up every yard possible.
Trubisky had 4 rushing attempts on this drive, one being a QB sneak on third-and-inches. He finished with 8 carries - which doubled his previous season high - for 34 yards.
Trubisky ran only 48 times last season, with nearly half of those attempts coming in three games. By contrast, Trubisky had 68 rushing attempts for 421 yards in 2018 when the Bears went 12-4.
Combine this change with the fact that the offensive line is healthy and blowing opponents off the ball, the receivers are stepping up at crucial times and Montgomery is playing like a man possessed and it's no wonder the Bears are thinking touchdown every time they get the ball.
"Guys are excited to be on the field," Trubisky said. "There's a strong, quiet confidence about us that all 11 guys in the huddle are going to get the job done.
"We just have a lot of trust that we can move the ball and score."
Add it up and it might just equal a playoff berth, thanks in large part to a QB who has finally found his way.
"He's not getting too high, he's not getting too low," Nagy said. "He cares so much. (But) sometimes wanting it so much can cause you to not do what you want to do.
"He's just not there right now. He's in a great place and I think it's because of what happened. He's using it and just a ton of credit to him for doing that."