A day after the Texans’ Deshaun Watson was stellar in opposition to the Saints within the Superdome and two days after the Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes was in other-worldly MVP type in opposition to the Jaguars in Jacksonville, Bears quarterbacks coach Dave Ragone was in a tricky spot Tuesday explaining Mitch Trubisky’s subpar efficiency in opposition to the Packers final week.
The coaching wheels needs to be off Trubisky by now. He’s not within the first 12 months of Matt Nagy’s offense. Trubisky truly is past the experience-level Mahomes was at with the Chiefs final season, when he opened his MVP season with 4 touchdowns, no interceptions and a 127.5 passer ranking in opposition to the Chargers.
So any Trubisky mis-step {that a} 12 months in the past was dismissed as a part of the expansion course of is a purple flag this season. Trubisky’s opening clunker in a 10-Three loss to the Packers — 26-of-45 for 228 yards, no touchdowns and one interception for a 62.1 ranking — strayed so removed from expectations it was extra disconcerting than disappointing. Ragone did one of the best he may to clarify it, but it surely all mainly boiled all the way down to the identical response: ‘We’re engaged on it.’
On why Trubisky began out so effectively in opposition to the Packers final 12 months at Lambeau Field within the first 12 months of Nagy’s offense and so poorly at Soldier Field within the second 12 months of Nagy’s offense:
“There were things we were looking to have happen from him — and things he accomplished and things we need to improve on,” Ragone mentioned. “Regardless of that being a win or a loss, we always strive to get better at fundamentals, get better with our eyes. There is no perfect game. When you have a loss, you self-evaluate just like after a win, and that’s something we’re doing this week.”
On issues Trubisky did that offer you confidence he’ll bounce again:
“That’s a great question,” Ragone mentioned. “The throws he made down the sector, particularly to A-Rob [Allen Robinson] — I do know he obtained pushed out of bounds. And the one to Taylor Gabriel — sadly he was additionally out of bounds. But giving his receivers possibilities down the sector.
“Some of the outcomes have been optimistic; some sadly out of his management, weren’t. You see the connection he’s beginning to have with not simply Allen Robinson, however his different receivers. Week 1, we need to construct on issues, self-evaluate the issues we didn’t do proper and work on ensuring these don’t occur once more.”
On focusing on Robinson 13 occasions — is Trubisky too locked in on his No. 1 man:
“I don’t know if I look at it that way,” Ragone mentioned. “I perceive the query. It’s an excellent query. A quarterback is aware of the traits of every considered one of his receivers. Wherever the protection takes the participant, hopefully he goes with the ball there.
“At occasions, the protection, 13 occasions, took him to Allen. All of these guys are good soccer gamers. You need that connection constructed with all these guys, and hopefully that progresses all through the season.”
On enhancing Trubisky’s means to be affected person by his progressions as an alternative of locking in on one man:
“It goes back to trusting the practice you’ve put in,” Ragone mentioned. “He has put a ton of effort into working on all of that. Maybe not getting the initial result you want, just having the faith to go back — which he did at times — and trust your fundamentals and your eyes … trust your feet. That’s a constant we’re going to continue to preach to him.”
On Trubisky studying RPOs [run-pass option plays]:
“That’s a great question,” Ragone mentioned. “Just like anything, there’s plays he makes that are good. There’s play where there could be a little bit gray and he makes a decision — sometimes it’s good and sometimes it’s not the outcome he wants. I have full and utter confidence he’s going to make the right play and if he doesn’t, he’ll be smart about it and protect himself. There’s no lack of confidence in any of those.”
On how conscious he’s of how…