Watson raises bar for rookie QBs
Mitchell Trubisky’s time has arrived and, fair or not, the bar has been raised.
It’s striking that one day before Chicago Bears coach John Fox pulled the plug on Mike Glennon to insert the rookie as starting quarterback, Deshaun Watson sparked the Houston Texans to a franchise-record 57 points with his five touchdowns Sunday.
Yo, Trubisky: Top that. Of course, the Bears rookie needs time to adjust. And unlike Watson, he didn’t join a team aiming to win a third consecutive division title.
But he’d better get used to the extra noise, because comparisons will persist.
The Bears could have drafted Watson, and look at him now. He’s sizzling.
Trubisky is the quarterback the Bears did draft, trading up to take him at the No. 2 overall slot. The future of the franchise — and perhaps whether Fox and general manager Ryan Pace will stay for the long haul — depends greatly on whether Trubisky is the player the team thinks he can be.
Watson, who led Clemson to the national title game two seasons ago and then won the championship last year, was hailed as the “Michael Jordan” of the draft by his college coach, Dabo Swinney. Granted, Swinney is biased. But he also worked alongside a winner who flourished under high-profile pressure.
So far, Watson — who immediately injected energy into his team upon replacing Tom Savage in the starting lineup after
only one game — looks the part of Air Jordan in cleats.
Bears fans have to be praying that Trubisky doesn’t turn out to be something of a Sam Bowie, drafted one slot before Jordan in 1984. Although Bowie’s career was derailed by a series of injuries, the enduring point is that the Portland Trail Blazers could have instead drafted Jordan.
Fair or not, comparisons come with the territory, just as they did for Peyton Manning-Ryan Leaf, Andrew Luck-Robert Griffin III, and as they will for Jared Goff-Carson Wentz. There’s no law, though, that Watson-Trubisky can’t be a win-win. During predraft buildup, opinions among NFL coaches and personnel types were mixed as to whether Watson, Trubisky or Patrick Mahomes, being groomed behind Alex Smith after the Kansas City Chiefs moved up to draft in the 10th slot, was the better pro prospect. Watson, picked 12th overall, was the third quarterback drafted.
But ask yourself: Can you trust the Bears’ ability to pick a quarterback?
The Chicago brain trust signed Glennon, Jameis Winston’s backup in Tampa Bay, to a three-year, $45 million contract this spring that guaranteed $18.5 million. He already played himself out of a starting gig.
So much for rolling with a bridge quarterback while Trubisky — who started just 13 games at North Carolina — transitions to the pro game.
Glennon committed eight turnovers (five interceptions, three fumbles) and ranks 29th in the NFL with a 76.9 passer rating during a 1-3 start, prompting Fox to accelerate the plan for his rookie.
There’s risk in ruining a young quarterback’s confidence with the lumps to come, but maybe not much. Mental toughness is a crucial trait for quarterbacks.
Troy Aikman, instance, for didn’t let a miserable rookie year with the Dallas Cowboys ruin him. He’s a Hall of Famer now, with three Super Bowl rings.
And look at Goff, drafted No. 1 by the Los Angeles Rams last year. He didn’t win a game as a rookie but looks plenty confident now with his 3-1 team leading the NFC West.
Sooner or later, young franchise quarterbacks must learn from experience and proceed. That’s where Trubisky is now, suddenly prepping for his starting debut next Monday night against the Minnesota Vikings and their terrific defense.
Complementary football — good defense, tough running — is the ticket. That’s what Texans coach Bill O’Brien preaches as essential for his young quarterback. And it helps that Watson has DeAndre Hopkins, the kind of playmaking receiver who Trubisky lacks in Chicago.
Still, Watson (91.7 passer rating, 7-4 TD-to-interception ratio) is a difference-maker. With his mobility, he covers for the offensive line in ways that Savage never could.
He’s also drawing rave reviews from the demanding O’Brien for his football IQ, which is surely needed to absorb Houston’s complex playbook. And it’s easy to see the zip on his passes and ability as a runner when he bolts from the pocket.
Watson has been so good in such short time that I wonder why O’Brien determined he was better off starting the season with Savage.
The Bears, needing a jolt from Trubisky, can only hope that Fox is similarly second-guessed.