Mitchell Trubisky’s Week 7 Passes, Ranked

The Chicago Bears beat the Carolina Panthers while their quarterback only threw seven passes. Those passes are broken down here.

The Chicago Bears beating the Carolina Panthers might be a surprising enough result already. Add in that Chicago only attempted seven passes in the win and it fits right into whatever 2017 has been for a football season. Rookie quarterback Mitchell Trubisky’s stat line looked like that of a college triple-option quarterback — 4-for-7, 107 yards, 15.3 yards per attempt, and four sacks taken. There were some throws, but not a lot of them, so let’s rank the ones we did see:

7. Pass № 5–2nd and 16, 14:21 remaining, third quarter

This was unquestionably Trubisky’s worst pass of the game. On a 2nd-and-long, he stepped up in the pocket and fired a shot downfield, but well overthrew intended receiver Zach Miller. The closest player to the pass was Panthers cornerback James Bradberry (24), who nearly had a diving interception on the play.

6. Pass № 2–1st and 10, 3:48 remaining, first quarter

It wouldn’t have mattered if this pass was completed or not, there was nothing to it. Tarik Cohen ran a quick out to the flat on 1st-and-10 and if it was caught, it was barely past the line of scrimmage. Instead, it was dropped. For a game plan that was so run heavy, this is a play that would have been better served on the ground.

5. Pass № 1–3rd and 3, 6:22 remaining, first quarter

While Trubisky’s first throw of the game wasn’t until there was under seven minutes left in the first quarter, it was only Chicago’s third offensive play of the game. They were already up 7–0 after Cam Newton fumbled on Carolina’s first drive of the game and it was returned 75 yards for a touchdown by Eddie Jackson.

Tarik Cohen runs a wheel route from the slot and Trubisky puts this close to the spot he wants it — a back shoulder throw out of the reach of the cornerback. But it’s just a little too far behind Cohen and it’s an awkward adjustment for the back down the field. Cohen doesn’t do his quarterback any favors by getting a hand on the ball, but not coming down with it. Maybe this is a pass that better connects if Trubisky ever throws more than 10 attempts in a game.

4. Pass № 7–2nd and 15, 5:37 remaining, fourth quarter

A five-yard out on 2nd-and-15 is whatever in a game that was filled with some whatever moments. The pass was intended to be quick to set up a more manageable third down, I guess? It didn’t help that Trubisky immediately followed this play with a delay of game and a sack to lose three yards.

3. Pass № 3–3rd and 9, 3:24 remaining, first quarter

On the Bears’ second third down of the game, Chicago sent out five receivers and the offensive line was able to do enough against Carolina’s four-man rush. Defensive tackle Kyle Love (93) gets a little bit of penetration, but left guard Josh Sitton (71) does enough to stay in front of the defender. Trubisky gets a nice enough pocket and throws a strike to Zach Miller, who has a step on Shaq Thompson (54). The throw is a little low, but it’s still hits Miller in stride as he’s able to get some yards after the catch and a gain of 24.

2. Pass № 4–1st and 10, 3:18 remaining, second quarter

This was the biggest passing play of the game, but not necessarily the best. Trubisky takes a seven-step drop from under center then steps up and finds Tarik Cohen open downfield. The ball was a little underthrown and Cohen has to adjust and break to the outside. Luckily, Cohen has been one of the shiftiest runners in the league this season and he has no problem with creating more yards after the catch here for a total gain of 70.

With a better pass that leads Cohen more downfield, this is an easy 75-yard touchdown. Per the NFL’s Next Gen Stats, this ball only traveled 45.5 yards in the air from release to catch, so it’s not like Trubisky shouldn’t be able to put the ball a little deeper. 30 quarterbacks this season have at least one pass that’s gone further than 45.5 yards in the air. Instead of a touchdown, the Bears settled for a field goal three plays later.

1. Pass № 6–3rd and 13, 5:39 remaining third quarter

So before we talked about how a five-yard out on 2nd-and-15 is whatever. Well, an eight-yard gain on 3rd-and-13 is probably worse, but just isolating the throw, it’s Trubisky’s best of the game and a good sign for the future.

Unlike the other throws, there is a sense of pressure here. Panthers safety Jairus Byrd (31) blitzes around the right side and is free around the edge. But Trubisky avoids him by stepping up in the pocket and firing a pass to Tanner Gentry. The pass is perfectly placed to the outside, just out of the reach of James Bradberry and Gentry makes the catch for the gain of eight. Stepping up to avoid pressure and putting the pass in a pace only his receiver could reach it is a great thing to see from a rookie quarterback, whether the result really mattered in the game or not.