San Antonio Express-News (Sunday)
Trubisky’s regression, Watson’s ascendance in spotlight
About the game
CHICAGO — The Chicago Bears went into the 2017 draft with their sights set on landing a franchise quarterback to serve as a building block for a struggling organization.
They could have chosen Patrick Mahomes. Or Deshaun Watson. They went with Mitchell Trubisky. And that decision remains a sore spot in Chicago.
The quarterback choice is getting even more attention there than usual with Trubisky and the freefalling Bears scheduled to host Watson and the Houston Texans on Sunday. It will be the first meeting as pros for the former ACC opponents — and another reminder of a decision gone wrong for Chicago.
General manager Ryan Pace traded up a spot to draft Trubisky out of North Carolina with the No. 2 overall pick. He passed on Mahomes and Watson, now two of the best quarterbacks in the NFL. Trubisky has regressed the past two seasons and is likely on his way out of Chicago after the Bears did not exercise their fifth-year option for next season.
One lingering question about that draft is why the Bears didn’t seem to show much interest in Watson coming out of Clemson.
“I have no idea,” he said. “I was just going with the flow and every process, and that’s pretty much it. Honestly, I don’t even know. Honestly, I wish I had more answers to that, but I don’t.”
Watson insisted he felt no extra motivation as he geared up to face the Bears, that there are no hard feelings. Fans in Chicago sure feel differently.
The Bears (5-7) are on a sixgame losing streak, their worst since the 2002 team tied a franchise record by dropping eight in a row. Pace and coach Matt Nagy are feeling the heat, particularly after Chicago blew a 10-point lead in the closing minutes against Detroit last week.
The Texans (4-8), meanwhile, lost 26-20 to Indianapolis.
QB comparison
Trubisky got benched during a Week 3 comeback win at Atlanta. He did not return to the starting lineup until a lopsided loss at Green Bay two weeks ago.
Trubisky committed three turnovers in that game, with Nick Foles sidelined by a hip and glute injury. He played better against Detroit, though a strip-sack deep in Chicago territory led to the Lions’ winning touchdown.
Watson is second to Mahomes in yards passing. The two-time Pro Bowler has thrown for more than 300 yards in three straight games, though he went without a touchdown pass for the first time this season as the Texans lost.
“You know he was a winner coming from a winning program and he had a lot of experience and he was a dual threat guy that was able to throw the football but still beat you with his legs,” Nagy said.
When/where: Noon today, Soldier Field, Chicago
TV/radio: CBS; 1250 AM, 94.5
FM
Records: Texans 4-8, Bears 5-7 Line: Texans by 1½
Series: Texans lead 4-0.
Last meeting: Texans beat
Bears 23-14 on Sept. 11, 2016 at Houston.
Notes: Mitchell Trubisky and Houston’s Deshaun Watson meet for the first time since the QBs were drafted in 2017. … Watson ranks second in the NFL to Kansas City’s Patrick Mahomes with 3,542 yards passing. He has thrown for more than 300 yards in three straight games but had his first game without a TD pass last week. … WR Keke Coutee had a career-high 141 yards receiving last week in Houston’s first game since top receiver Will Fuller was suspended for violating the league’s policy on performance enhancers.