HE CAN MAKE WISH COME TRU
Quarterback would be Bears’ biggest asset in coaching search
Even in October, Jim Harbaugh was a Mitch Trubisky fan.
“He liked him coming out,” John Harbaugh, Jim’s brother and the coach of the Ravens, said before the Bears- Ravens game Oct. 15. “I did talk to him about the quarterbacks. I always do. And he thought very highly of him.”
If Jim Harbaugh liked Trubisky then, he’s sure to like him now. If Harbaugh has any interest in returning to the NFL next season, there’s little doubt that Trubisky would be an enticing lure for a coach with a reputation of developing quarterbacks.
Therein lies one of the most encouraging facets to Trubisky’s best day as a pro Sunday against the Bengals. Not only was it the most tangible sign of progress for the rookie from North Carolina, but it enhances his value as the biggest chip in the Bears’ likely attempt to attract a top- notch coach for 2018.
Trubisky was 25- for- 32 for a season- high 271 yards— nearly the exact number of miles from Mentor High School in suburban Cleveland to Paul Brown Stadium — and one touchdown for a 112.4 passer rating. He also scored on a four- yard run on a well- executed zone- read play that gave the Bears a 19- 7 lead in the third quarter.
It remains to be seen if that was a glimpse of the future or Trubisky and offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains catching the Bengals at the right time— with five defensive starters missing on a short week after an emotional and particularly physical game against the rival Steelers. But you can bet that any prospective head coach is more likely to look at the results and the tape and see the possibilities than consider the circumstances and dismiss it.
The Bears often get beaten down in the ‘ Which is the most appealing job’ survey. Not this time. Even with the baggage that is inherent at Halas Hall, Trubisky puts the Bears near the top of any list. 2 The Bears’ season- high 482 yards and 33 points was a bit of redemption for the embattled Loggains, but the spike in production was almost as indicting as it was impressive. The Bears went from the 10th- worst totalyardage total since the end of the Ditka era against the 49ers last week ( 147 yards) to the fifthbest total against the Bengals on Sunday.
Which is the real Bears’ offense? Saturday’s game against a Lions team still in the hunt seems like a pretty good litmus test— an indoor game against a Lions defense that ranks 26th in total yards and has allowed more yards in the past five games ( 397.8 average) than every team in the NFL except the Bengals and Giants. 3 Talk about a Victory Monday. It was a particularly uplifting and emotional day at Halas Hall with tight end Zach Miller making his first appearance at the team’s practice facility since suffering a torn popliteal artery in his left leg against the Saints on Oct. 29 that required emergency vascular surgery to save his leg.