PRESSURE PACKED: BEARS EXPECTED TO WIN
Trubisky views Packers game as new beginning, says he’s ready to open up offense
Mitch Trubisky’s preseason is over.
The rookie quarterback’s four starts in place of Mike Glennon were in effect a challenging warmup. After an open- date week to reflect on what he has done, what he has to do and how far he can go, Trubisky is eager r to take the next step, which could d be a significant one — or not. t.
“I’m pretty anxious and excited about this week,” Trubisky said Wednesday. “I kind of feel like it’s a new season in a way. The last few games are what they are, but we have a great opportunity with this home game.
“Taking it one e game at a time, trying to be 1- 0 this week. We’re only worried about ut the Green Bay Packers. I feel very ery confident and am very excited to really just start to open things up, play within myself and the offense and do my job, so the offense can succeed, and we could win more games.”
It remains to be seen just how much Trubisky and the Bears’ ofoffense can open things things up in the second half with h this supporting cast. The addition n of wide receivers Dontrelle Inman man and Markus Wheaton could provide a dimension Trubisky hasn’t had so far. But if there was a disappointment amid the excitement ment of Trubisky’s promotion, it’s that his mobility and elusiveness didn’t create opportunities for his his receivers as theorized.
In fact, receivers rs were open open with with less frequency with ith Trubisky than Glennon — evidenced in part by the almost alarming ming disparity between the completion letion percentage of the starter who flopped ( 66.4 percent) and the e franchise quarterback- to- be who was drafted No. 2 overall at a significant nificant cost ( 47.5 percent).
In four starts, T rubi sky completed 38 of 80 passes for 512 yards and two touchdowns with two intercept ions for a 66.3 passer rating — below Glennon’s 76.8 rating in his four starts.
As nicely as he could, offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains put Trubisky’s low completion percentage on the offense, not Trubisky. On several plays, Trubisky wisely threw the ball away rather than risk an interception or take a sack. He has made his share of errant throws, but he also has been victimized by dropped passes and his receivers’ inability to get open. This is still the same guy who completed 69.9 percent of his passes in his last two se seasons at North Carolina and 67.9 percent in the preseason, including includin 10 in a row to open his pro career, career Loggains said. “I don’t think it’s accuracy at all because I think he he’s extremely accurate,” Loggains said. sa “We need to do a better job in pass p [ protection]. We need to do a bet better job of creating separation out wide. When he’s had time and had clean pockets, he’s thrown some really r good balls. We’ve played good defenses with good secondaries, and we have to help him a little more.” mo The timing is rig right for a big step forward because T Trubisky finally has a base of first- firs team reps he didn’t get in traini training camp or the preseason. That’s another a price the Bears paid for the G Glennon error. “[ Not makin making] excuses for him, [ but but] the way we chose to go about this quarterback thi thing, [ Trubisky] w wasn’t competing for a job,” Loggains said. “He was taking [ t third- team] reps. T There’s a lot of gr growth that’s going to take place wit with him, and a lot of it was because he wasn wasn’t competing for a job. He wasn’t getti getting starter reps, and his reps were limit limited. The best way to t grow through this process pr is to just go out and a play.” Follo Follow me on Twitter @ Mark MarkPotash.
‘‘ I’m pretty anxious and excited about this week. I kind of feel like it’s a new season in a way. The last few games are what they are, but we have a great opportunity with this home game.’’ — Mitch Trubisky