Mitch Trubisky’s last four performances are some of the strangest by a Bears quarterback in recent memory. Since hitting what I believe was his rock bottom against the Saints, he has strung together a series of bizarre decisions, errant throws, poor mechanics and occasional, yet all-too-infrequent, thrilling moments. Trubisky is no longer an enigma. He’s no longer difficult to evaluate. He’s a backup quarterback.

Other thoughts, based on observations and conversations…

• The boys at the Tribune did a nice job breaking down this entire Trubisky saga in tireless detail. I’d be very surprised if Dave Ragone is on this coaching staff in 2020. And he shouldn’t be.
• For those wondering why the Bears aren’t turning to Chase Daniel, it’s simple: they are hoping (and praying) something clicks in Trubisky and he turns this thing around. They’re no longer relying on that to occur but they know it’s the best possible outcome for the organization this season as the playoffs drift further and further from reality.
• From a well-placed source within the organization: Matt Nagy has grown increasingly frustrated with Trubisky’s inability to process and execute the game plan. That game plan was significantly dialed back for Detroit and will continue to be down the stretch.
• Is Trubisky playing hurt? He has to be. Otherwise there’s no explanation for his passing up countless first downs on the ground. Both the Eagles and Lions sold out to stop the run/rush the passer, leaving their corners on an island and acres of space in the middle of the field. When Trubisky has had opportunities to exploit that space with his legs, he’s passed. It makes no sense. Unless he’s hurt.
• The same folks blaming the offensive line in Chicago out of the left side of their mouths are praising Deshaun Watson’s improvisational skills out of the right side of their mouths. If you watch Houston play, you’ll realize something: they have no offensive line. Watson, and the MVP front-runner Russell Wilson, extend drives and make plays with their athleticism. Trubisky does not. And that’s why he was drafted. The Bears never expected him to sit in the pocket like Eli Manning or Joe Flacco. They expected him to move and create. They expected football instincts. They expected excitement. They’re getting none.

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(1) Everything I thought about David Haugh was confirmed when I watched him order a Blue Moon from Marco at The Billy Goat Tavern. Everything.

(2) Jason La Canfora continues to embarrass himself nationally. ESPN has Schefter and Mort. Fox has Glazer. NFL Network has RapSheet. And yet CBS, one of the league’s preeminent partners, continues to march this Human Misinformation Machine onto their New York City set every Sunday to be wrong. When JLC reported the Bears were bringing in Bill Polian last year, my source inside the Bears responded with this text: “Hahahaha.” JLC makes things up. There’s no other way to say it.

(3) For the first time in my twelve years writing DBB, I dabbled in the the “breaking news” game and I have to admit it was a shitload of fun. There is something genuinely thrilling about having information before everybody else, even when that information is as trivial as who the next offensive line coach of the Bears will be.

But sadly, “breaking news cache” seems to be all football fans care about anymore. A decent opinion doesn’t register. A good sentence or two? Fuck that! I’ve been doing the same crap on Twitter for years and I basically doubled my following because I knew Mark Helfrich would be the next offensive coordinator before Brad Biggs. And the sad part is I didn’t do anything for that information outside of have a friend. The sentences are the hard part!

(4) Is Adam Jahns my pal? Yes. But we became friendly (initially) out of mutual respect for each other’s work. Jahns tackles Bears issues with objectivity and intelligence and – most importantly – style. He can write! He is a pleasure to read! He’s the best the Bears beat has to offer day-to-day.

(5) Brad Biggs has lost his fastball. He was the best Bears beat writer for a decade, and his Monday Ten Things was the only must read of the week. Neither of those things is remotely true any more. One thing you should know: the organization hated that Phil Emery leaked so profusely to Biggs. They love that Pace does not. There are people in the building who actively root against Biggs getting stories.

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