Mr. Mitch goes to Washington: Let’s hope for rave reviews

Bears’ third game, on national TV no less, seems like good time for quarterback to show up.

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Mitch Trubisky

Quarterback Mitch Trubisky #10 of the Chicago Bears throws in the second quarter against the Denver Broncos at Empower Field at Mile High on September 15, 2019 in Denver, Colorado.

Matthew Stockman/Getty Images

The Bears won that game in Denver on Sunday, so let’s zip on to the upcoming Washington game before somebody in Colorado finds a way to take the thing back.

I mean, whew.

The Bears are 1-1. 

And the difference — psychologically and in real life — between 1-1 and 0-2, which the Bears probably should be —is huge.

Two games behind the Packers after two games played? Enough said.

So how does 2-1 sound?

It sounds decent. It sounds hopeful.

Win on ‘‘Monday Night Football’’ and the Bears are almost where they want to be.

Washington (you’ll get no Redskins from this writer after today) is 0-2 and not in a great mood.

They lost their first two games to the Eagles and Cowboys, division

rivals both, and the specter of 0-3 has them pondering the nasty things that might follow: benchings, cuts, trades, coach firings, beheadings.

The Bears are early 3½-point favorites on the road, but that means little for a team that can barely score touchdowns (one so far) and won’t have thin air to help kicker Eddy Pineiro’s prayers.

Though it seems the Bears are a team in ascendance, that could be an illusion. If the offense doesn’t improve, the Bears’ fierce defense will be carrying the team the way one strong wing can carry an eagle with buckshot in the other limb.

That’s not a good way to roll. The crash and burn is inevitable.

But . . . what we keep hearing is that quarterback Mitch Trubisky is on a gentle learning curve, a painstakingly slow arc toward excellence. Coaches expect Mitch’s next game to be better than the one preceding.

Right now there’s not much proof of that.

One good pass at the end of a game, one debatable second on the clock, one mighty kick from a guy so busy making the Sign of the Cross you thought he might be headed to Sunday Mass rather than lining up for the game-winner — that’s not real progress, that’s mostly luck.

Indeed, right now, you’d take Washington quarterback Case Keenum in a heartbeat over Trubisky as the man who might lead you deep into the playoffs.

Keenum has a rocket arm, and he’s a wily vet. He’s the definition of a journeyman, on his fifth team in his eight-year career. But that might be deceiving. Indeed, Washington might be a lousy team, but it’s not because of Keenum.

He has thrown for 601 yards and five touchdowns in two games. With zero interceptions. His rating was a stellar 103.5 against the Cowboys and 117.6 against the Eagles.

Trubisky (348 passing yards, zero touchdowns, one interception, 65.0 rating in two games) would take any of Keenum’s stats and bronze them for his mantel.

Washington has all kinds of injuries, confusion on defense and even a holdout on offense (left tackle Trent Williams), but it also has traditional Bears-slaying running back Adrian Peterson. Yes, he’s 34, but anybody remember when, as a Viking, he ran for 224 yards against the Bears in 2007? Or 154 yards in 2012? Or 211 yards in 2013? 

Sure, that’s old school. But Peterson’s there, and he’s not a wimp. He ran for 25 yards against the Cowboys (he was inactive against the Eagles) but might be ready to detonate.

And even if things look bad for Washington, remember this is the NFL and no team goes winless, and no team is terrible. Everybody gets their first-round picks. This isn’t college where Ohio University is never going to get what Ohio State gets.

So beware.

There are two simple storylines here: The Bears’ great defense against a good Washington offense. And the main one: Washington’s entire franchise against Mitch Trubisky.

Pressure Mitch. Make him run. Bait him into bad throws. Rattle him. Blitz him. He’s the flaw. He’s the key.

You can almost hear the coaching room talk and the dryboard squeak with designs to get after Trubisky and make him lose the game. 

Will it work? I think not, mainly because I haven’t completely given up on Trubisky as decent pro quarterback. One more lousy outing, and I’ll be there. As will most of Chicago. It’s a sad thing to contemplate, but it’s lurking like that mold creeping out from behind your faucet.

Washington’s defense has given up 569 yards in the second half of its two games. Pretty bad.

Trubisky should be salivating. If he’s not privately weeping.

The NFL season, said Keenum, ‘‘is about progressing and finding what you do well to be better at it.’’

Fair enough.

It’s time for Trubisky to do it.

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