Mitchell Trubisky made his rookie debut in week five against the Minnesota Vikings and tried to get more wins for the Bears on what felt like an already lost season. After a much-needed break, the Chicago Bears have not had much luck in improving their record. Injuries and illness have taken a toll on the team. With only five games left, can the Bears and Trubisky figure out a way to live up to their nickname of “Monsters of the Midway?”
The Rookie’s Debut
After his week five debut, Trubisky is doing rather well. However, the reason that the Bears have not been able to get more than two wins since he became the starter has two factors with injuries being the most prominent one.
Injuries are taking a toll on the team, especially Kyle Long‘s repeated ankle issues. The other element? Well, according to Coach John Fox in a press conference, the Bears “go into lulls and siestas” and just can’t get it together.” Either way, it does not necessarily reflect poorly on the rookie quarterback. In fact, Trubisky continues to improve with every game.
Many teammates have been singing his praises and are looking forward to seeing just where Trubisky will take them. Among these teammates are Long and Josh Sitton. In a press conference with Sitton, he said that Trubisky “is growing and learning” which is good for a young quarterback. In a post-game interview with Long, he states that it is Trubisky’s poise that makes him a great player and Long is “looking forward to blocking for him for a long time” as he “continues to improve as a quarterback, as a leader.”
Trubisky knows that he needs to improve and is working diligently to do so. The coaches, players, and fans are looking forward to watching his progress through the remainder of the season. Many people are expecting great things from this young quarterback and looking forward to many seasons of watching him play.
Injuries
Injuries have plagued the Bears all season long. From pulled groins and sprained ankles to broken bones. The NFL is a dangerous business that leaves a trail of injuries after every game. One of the worst injuries this season was Zach Miller who required surgery to repair the damage done to his knee. Luckily, he is recovering from his surgery and was able to spend Thanksgiving at home with his family and friends. Unfortunately, Miller’s leg injury was so severe it will take many months for him to recover fully, some say that he might not return until April. Will this be his last season with the Bears? Or maybe even his career in football? Only time will tell and healing will be a long process.
The latest of these gruesome injuries is Leonard Floyd‘s knee during week 11. It happened late in the fourth quarter when he collided with fellow Bears player Kyle Fuller. Luckily, there is no injury to the linebacker’s ACL. However, with damage to the MCL and PCL, it is uncertain that he will return at any point in the rest of the season. Howard Jones, a fellow Bears lineman, expressed how Floyd’s injury will affect the team in the later part of the season in a press conference at Halas Hall. Everyone on the team, as well as the fans, is wishing both Miller and Floyd a comfortable and speedy recovery.
So, What’s Next?
As the season comes to an end, it is not possible for the Bears to make it to the postseason. However, with Trubisky’s improvement and as players recover from injuries, they could have a chance next year. It is always hard to go through a rebuilding year but this team is doing a pretty good job at learning what works and how to improve for the years ahead. In the following games, the Bears–and Bears fans–can hope for a few more wins to end the season on a positive note.
Another Debut?
With Floyd out, can Bears fans look forward to another rookie debut? Although confirmed that Jones will fill in for Floyd as an outside linebacker, two rookie linemen could make their appearances any time in the next few weeks. Either Isaiah Irving or Roy Robertson-Harris could step up into this position and help turn the tide for the Bears. Anything is possible even this late in the season. If we don’t see them this year, it is entirely possible to see them in the future.
Fate Of The Coach
In his third season as head coach of the Chicago Bears, John Fox has had a difficult season. As with any rebuilding year, this season has had its challenges. However, he has done reasonably well this season as a coach. Unfortunately, there has been some speculations that he will not return as the head coach next season.
Is it fair to dismiss a coach after a few rough seasons? Not when you look at everything that he has done. Within those seasons, the Bears may not have won many games, but the overall stats have improved for the team. Looking at the statistics over his three seasons would show that it is not the time to let this coach go.
In the 2015 season, the number of yards per game, yards per play, rushing and passing yards, as well as sacks per pass attempts all increased from the year before. The following year, Fox brought the Bears offense up to rank third in a single season in the history of the franchise. The team earned the rank by a total of gross passing yards and net passing yards by the offense. Even though three different quarterbacks–Matt Barkley, Jay Cutler, and Brian Hoyer–started in the season, the team ranked second in passing first downs as well. They ranked fifth overall in the NFL with 5.9 yards per play, and their rushing yards earned them the sixth place ranking while their sacks per pass attempt landed them an eight. Chicago finished the season tied for fifth in explosive plays at the end of the 2016 season.
The only way for the Bears to improve is to keep John Fox as the head coach. He is pushing his young team into becoming the players he knows that they can and should be. It will be interesting to see how far he will go to take the Bears to the post-season in the years to come. As he continues to improve the team’s statistics and grow the team, fans can only hope to see the Monsters of the Midway return to their former glory.