How Bears' offense changes — and improves — with Mitch Trubisky

How Bears’ offense changes — and improves — with Mitch Trubisky

By Adam L. Jahns

Mitch Trubisky was the No. 2 overall pick (Getty Images)

Bears offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains didn’t divulge much, but he promised something different if Mitch Trubisky were his starting quarterback.

‘‘Absolutely, just because he and Mike [Glennon] have different skill sets,’’ Loggains said Sept. 6. ‘‘One thing we try to take pride in and try to do a good job of is making sure we are always playing to our guys’ skill sets.’’

The Vikings have more to prepare for now that Trubisky is starting. He provides more variety, which means Loggains can be more creative.

Here is how the Bears’ offense will be different — and possibly improve — with Trubisky:

Different launch points

Glennon’s lack of mobility limited Loggains’ play calls. Despite the Bears having a strong running game, standard play-action bootlegs weren’t a staple of the offense because of Glennon’s physical limitations.

Take what happened in Week 1 as an obvious reason why. After a play-fake to running back Jordan Howard, Glennon tried to roll to his right but easily was sacked by Falcons outside linebacker Brooks Reed.

Glennon’s lack of athleticism not only prevented him from outracing Reed but also from throwing the ball away from outside the pocket. He took a 12-yard loss on first down.

In the Bears’ first preseason game against the Broncos, Trubisky completed four passes on bootleg plays to his right. Defenders closely pursued Trubisky on two of those completions. Unlike Glennon, Trubisky also showed he could roll to his left and throw.

Sprint-outs also can be implemented with Trubisky. His touchdown pass to Victor Cruz against the Broncos came on a such a play to his left.

Additional play calls

North Carolina’s offense featured run-pass options for Trubisky that opened up throwing lanes for him.

Loggains couldn’t implement such plays with Glennon because of his slow mechanics, but Trubisky has a quicker release.

Read-option packages also can be added. They weren’t included before because Glennon was never a legitimate threat to run.

At North Carolina, Trubisky ran for 308 yards and five touchdowns on 93 carries in his senior season. Some of that yardage came from the read option.

The Tar Heels also featured designed runs and draws for Trubisky. His 18-yard touchdown run in a 48-20 victory against Georgia Tech last season is an example. He dropped back to the 25-yard line, then took off.

Trubisky also scored on a naked bootleg on the goal line in a 33-24 loss against Georgia.

Planned runs are more dangerous at the NFL level, but opposing defenses still must account for them.

An improvisational factor

Glennon’s inability to create under pressure was apparent through the first four weeks. He only was sacked eight times, but he often went quickly to his check-down options.

Trubisky’s highlight reel from North Carolina is full of plays he extended with his athleticism before making accurate throws down the field.

He also scrambled for touchdowns. In a 37-35 victory against Florida State, Trubisky had a four-yard touchdown run, but it was much longer than that. It was a scramble that started at the 18-yard line.

Trubisky was sacked 18 times last season at North Carolina. In his final season at North Carolina State, Glennon was sacked 36 times.

Helping his WRs

Trubisky should provide a better sense of what the Bears have at receiver. Through play-action plays, sprint-outs and more, his athleticism should help receivers gain separation.

Glennon also missed open targets in the first four weeks. He went through his progressions slowly and struggled to anticipate his receivers’ routes.

Trubisky didn’t throw to potential first-round picks at North Carolina. His best threats were Ryan Switzer (96 catches, 1,112 yards, six touchdowns) and Bug Howard (53 catches, 827 yards, eight touchdowns).

Switzer (5-10, 181 pounds) was a fourth-round pick of the Cowboys. Howard (6-5, 210 pounds) is on the Browns’ practice squad after going undrafted.

Follow me on Twitter @adamjahns.

Email: ajahns@suntimes.com