FILM STUDY: Mitch Trubisky can learn from Matthew Stafford’s scrambles

SHARE FILM STUDY: Mitch Trubisky can learn from Matthew Stafford’s scrambles
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Bears quarterback Mitch Trubisky stands on the sidelines Saturday. (AP)

Thoughts and observations after watching the film of the Bears’ 20-10 loss to the Lions in Week 15:

Bad rollout

Mitch Trubisky had left a few throws high early in the game before throwing his first interception on the second play of the third quarter. Trubisky ran a zone-read play-action fake to Jordan Howard, who hustled across Trubisky’s face to try to help right tackle Bobby Massie block Ziggy Ansah. Neither slowed Ansah down, and Trubisky hurredly rolled left.

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Trubisky couldn’t square his hips quite enough, and sailed his throw toward Kendall Wright along the left sideline. It landed in Darius Slay’s arms, and the cornerback tiptoed along the sideline.

Trubisky seems more comfortable rolling right than left, but credit Ansah for hurrying his motion. Wright said later, half-heartedly, to blame him for the route.

The throw, though, was Trubisky’s fault.

“I’m not going to throw my quarterback under the bus,” Wright said.  “He shouldn’t take the blame.”

Good rollout

Trubisky can look to Matthew Stafford’s feet for inspiration.

“You know he’s a mobile quarterback,” outside linebacker Lamarr Houston said. “He doesn’t do it often because he has a great arm.”

Trubisky will never have the otherworldly zip of Stafford, but the Bears hope he can do what the Lions quarterback did Saturday — use his legs and hips to keep plays alive, and then let it fly.

Even before Stafford rolled right and completed a game-changing 58-yard pass in the second quarter, he used his feet to make plays. On the Lions’ first third down of the game, Stafford pirouetted away from a blitzing Sherrick McManis, using the ball as a pivot point on the ground, and threw to a crossing Eric Ebron for a 19-yard gain.

And then the 58-yard gain: Akem Hicks was already regretting his missed sack chance. Hicks was left unblocked after stunting over the left tackle. Stafford saw him, though, and stepped up half a yard before sprinting right. He pulled up at the 29-yard line, in front of the right numbers, and let the ball fly.

Before Stafford threw it, slot cornerback Bryce Callahan slipped when Marvin Jones doubled back on the scramble drill. Eddie Jackson retreated to help, but Jones simply out-jumped him.

On McPhee

In praise of perhaps Pernell McPhee’s last play as a Bear: in the second quarter, the outside linebacker rushed over the right end, engaged with right tackle Corey Robinson, and peeled off when he sniffed out a screen right to running back Ameer Abdullah.

Stafford’s pump fake left didn’t fool McPhee, who was waiting for Abdullah when he caught the ball. McPhee injured his right shoulder when he landed between Abdullah’s legs after being blocked back by Robinson. Robinson then fell on McPhee.

McPhee seemed to know immediately his injury was serious. It could have been his last play with the Bears, who don’t owe him any further guaranteed money at the end of the year. He’s probably not worth the $7.57 million the Bears would otherwise owe him next year.


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