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Chicago Bears quarterback Mitch Trubisky made his return Week 12 against the Green Bay Packers after being benched Week 3 in favor of Nick Foles. Trubisky completed over 56 percent of his passes, going 26-46 for 242 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions — along with a costly fumble that was returned for a touchdown by Preston Smith. He had a few good plays in the fourth quarter, but he also left several plays on the field most starters in the league would make.
Former NFL quarterback and current ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky, who spent 12 seasons in the league, broke down a specific play near the goal line against the Packers in which Trubisky threw an incomplete pass to rookie tight end Cole Kmet. Initially, it looked as though Kmet was at fault for the play not working, but a breakdown by Orlovsky revealed that Trubisky’s poor mechanics were the primary reason it fell apart.
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Mitch Trubisky’s Footwork is Still a Mess in Year 4
“Trubisky — you had all this time off. All you had to do was fix some minor flaws,” Orlovsky said, before breaking the play down further, revealing a key moment Kmet was open where Trubisky should have been set and throwing the ball. Instead, the quarterback’s feet were both in mid-air, and he waited too long to deliver the throw.
“Watch just the mechanics from the shotgun. First of all, catch the snap and stand straight up — I mean, you’re standing straight up. Both feet look like they’re off the ground. You should be ready like a pitcher at the top of his motion to drive that football … it looks like his feet are both in the air at the same time. You can’t play like this! C’mon! Hit that back foot, have a little bend in your leg–be athletic–you’re an athlete. Look–you’re standing straight up. Completely vertical. Both feet are off the ground–now you’re completely locked out. C’mon! Fix your mechanics,” Orlovsky said.
Noting Cole Kmet was “wide open,” Orlovsky showed how Trubisky’s delivery, not Kmet’s hands, was the primary reason the play failed. And it’s a play the Bears and their fans have seen many times before.
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Orlovsky: Nagy’s Design Was Not the Problem on the Play
“This is easy stuff. You’re too good of an athlete to allow this to be the downfall of why you won’t make it, or one of the reasons why. Simple mechanics. This should be harped on. It’s a good play design. Can’t blame the coach for this,” Orlovsky said.
Orlovsky correctly points out that it’s the job of the coaching staff to try to instill proper mechanics — to “harp on” them, as Orlovsky said. But several of the plays that haven’t worked offensively, like the goal line throw to Kmet, could have likely worked with a more capable quarterback.
Much was made of Trubisky spending this past offseason working on his footwork and mechanics with quarterback guru Jeff Christensen of Chicago’s ‘Throw It Deep’ quarterback academy, but clearly, not many improvements were made.
“It’s the first time I have adjusted my mechanics,” Trubisky said this summer after working with Christensen, also noting that he felt his balance and footwork specifically had gotten better.
For his part, Orlovsky predicted Trubisky’s trajectory this season in early September, noting then that if the fourth-year quarterback did not fix his mechanics, his future as a starter in this league would be in doubt. “If he does not fix his one fatal flaw, he will be out of his job by October.” Orlovsky said.
Trubisky will start Week 13 against the Lions, but beyond that remains to be seen.
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