MITCH COMES 1ST
Winning means little if Bears aren’t fostering Trubisky’s long- term development
I’ d rather see the Bears go 5- 11 with Mitch Trubisky learning on the job and making mistakes than go 8- 8 with a dominant defense and an offense curled up in the fetal position.
Winning is good. I’m thinking of trademarking that. But it’s worth asking whether winning now at all costs is a good thing for Trubisky’s development. Judging by the team’s 17- 3 victory Sunday against the Panthers, the answer would appear to be, ‘‘ If that’s a passing offense by the Bears, then I’m Brad Pitt.’’
The rookie quarterback threw seven passes against the Panthers, completing four. Even Woody Hayes was rolling his eyes somewhere. But coach John Fox smelled victory after defensive back Eddie Jackson returned two Panthers turnovers for touchdowns. He wasn’t going to let something as inconvenient as Trubisky’s progress get in the way of a victory. Whether that’s a coach who doesn’t trust his quarterback or a coach who is trying to keep his job is open for debate.
To see how the climate has changed around here, let’s go back to early September. Which of the following best described the purpose of the Bears’ season heading into Week 1:
A) Rebuilding a franchise that hadn’t put together a winning season since 2012.
B) Tanking to get the highest pick possible in the 2018 draft.
C) Giving Trubisky as much experience in an NFL offense as he could handle.
D) Holding opponents without a touchdown for nine consecutive quarters and, seven weeks into the season, winning as many games ( three) as all of last season and . . . is there any other purpose besides victories?!
I don’t think D) would have had a chance in hell before the opener. The city was on board for the kind of rebuild and pain the Cubs and Theo Epstein had made so fashionable. But now?
Go, Bears?