What is everyone's opinion of the regular season Mitch had?

[BuddyRyans46]

What grade would you give him for his individual performance as a starting QB this year? Were you ecstatic over his performance, happy/satisfied, or slightly disappointed with his performance this year?

Personally, I would give him a B- to a B for his performance this year. I was happy with the progress he showed, but slightly disappointed that I now suspect that his ceiling might be as game manager/poor man's Alex Smith type of QB. I was really hoping that by the end of the year, he would have been performing consistently at a high enough level that would have enabled me to realistically believe that he had it in him to be an elite or near elite NFL QB for years/potential HOF'er....but I just didn't see that from him this year.

Per final QB Ratings on NFL.com for the regular season, he ranked 15th in the league..which is obviously pretty much right in the middle, which is what I would have expected given his up and down performance this season.

[docc]

1st year in a new system with unusual concepts..after last year in a Flintstone era offensive system.. New players everywhere on the field..

Too early to tell where Mitch will be next year in stats..

Game managers have won Super Bowls.. I'd take that..

[southdakbearfan]

I would give him an A based on his progression, not overall. He needs to continue that progression to be an A list QB.

The thing his legs and elusiveness give him is more margin of error as he can make some big plays with his legs right now whereas I expect him to do it more with his arm in the future.

Overall I would put him in the B to B+ range based on his total effectiveness overall running and passing.

[Sugashane]

I am very happy with it.

Let's be real. He has 1 college season, one full season in a real scheme and last year's farce. Total of 1336 pass attempts in college and pros COMBINED.

To put that into perspective Watson had 1207 pass attempts in college alone and Mahomes had 1349 pass attempts in college alone. Tru started behind the ball in experience, so he will still have to take his lumps like everyone else. He did a lot of that last year.

I know there were practice reps, but all of them had practice reps, and Tru only had one season of starter reps there to boot. The kid is still raw and has less game experience than a lot of rookies that aren't even drafted yet. We have seen Tru grow quite a bit this season. He went from a guy who was mentally swimming from all the responsibilities and reads for the first few weeks, then Nagy realized he can't expect Tru to do in the beginning of his 1st year in the system what Smith was doing in year 4 and dialed it back. The game slowed for him. Then Tru was progressively getting more duties and now has a pretty good grasp on the system.

He had a productive season, while everyone was learning the new system. Inconsistencies were maddening at times but not unexpected, especially with the floundering run game at times. People want to compare to Goff and Mahomes blowing up, but their run games were constantly solid at minimum, and that opened a LOT for them. Nagy is getting better as a playcaller too, which will only play in our favor.

This offseason I want him to gain more mastery of the system and clean his technique up. Being more consistently sound with his motion will allow him not to leave so many plays on the field, he does outright miss too many "gimmie" throws. Just off the average 2 throws he botched we are looking at not only 20 yards passing per game left but extending drives, which means more attempts, yards, and TDs that were left. He very easily could have been a 4000 yard passer if just those few throws were connected on. That is something I can look to and be happy with.

[dplank]

B-/C+

He had an up and down season, red hot sometimes, and downright awful others. His consistent accuracy must improve, I don't give him a free pass on that due to "inexperience". I like his demeanor and work ethic, he's a true team captain style QB. I like his legs A LOT, and his awareness is improving as expected - I do attribute early awareness issues to inexperience, just not his accuracy issues. His stats were bolstered by playing in Nagy's offense, lots of easy yards and TD's on screens and shovel passes.

I like Mitch, and I'm hoping for a big step forward next year. But to be clear, he's behind both Watson and Mahomes and most likely he'll never catch those guys. I'm hoping that Mitch has a Troy Aikman type career, where other QB's rack up MVP awards and passing titles, while Mitch rakes in Super Bowl rings.

[Z Bear]

B (closer to B+ than C)

Pretty much everything Plank said aside from behind Watson. Watson turns the ball over too much, even going back to his Clemson days. Watson has done more with better talent than Mitch, but is a little reckless with the ball. He did better this year, but also got lucky that 6 of his 9 fumbles were recovered by his own team.

[wab]

I think he's had a solid B grade of a season. I think as his trust in the offense and in himself progresses, you'll see those problem areas improve.

[AZ_Bearfan]

I give him a B+. He's making strides and has won some games for us this year. He's well on his way to getting an "A" next year IMO. I've noticed he has cleaned up his footwork over the past 3 weeks.... like a bunch. His footwork has been outstanding and he hasn't been sailing high balls. If this is the type of progression he's making, I'm about as happy as I could possiblly be with the Bears QB.

[Richie]

B

He improved a lot and is an effective QB.

I think the trajectory will continue upward for him next season and he turns out a pro bowl caliber season.

[UOK]

B-/C+. I think he trends closer to B territory due to his 3rd down proficiency and game-breaking ability to scramble.

[Bears Whiskey Nut]

I was thinking C+/B- as well. My biggest knock on him was the inconsistency with his throwing platform. When his feet and shoulders were square he was lights out. He just couldn't find a solid platform in several different games. I would like to see Nagy commit to ingraining that into Mitch in the offseason.

[crueltyabc]

I think he's better than a couple of guys ranking above him, so I'm gonna give him a B. For the people calling him a C i'm interested to know what QBs they consider better.

Here's my quick ranking for 2018:
Drew Brees
Aaron Rodgers
Tom Brady
Pat Mahomes
Philip Rivers
Russell Wilson
Deshaun Watson
Andrew Luck
Jared Goff
Ben Roethlisberger
Mitch

Soo I've gotta give him at least a B if he's #11. Maybe we have some harsh graders on the board who are only giving out very few As and Bs?

[Bears Whiskey Nut]

I think he's better than a couple of guys ranking above him, so I'm gonna give him a B. For the people calling him a C i'm interested to know what QBs they consider better.

Here's my quick ranking for 2018:
Drew Brees
Aaron Rodgers
Tom Brady
Pat Mahomes
Philip Rivers
Russell Wilson
Deshaun Watson
Andrew Luck
Jared Goff
Ben Roethlisberger
Mitch

Soo I've gotta give him at least a B if he's #11. Maybe we have some harsh graders on the board who are only giving out very few As and Bs?

It's not so much that I am comparing him to other QB's, but rather that I'm comparing him to his perceived potential. I think he can get quite a bit better, but the disappointing thing for me was the inconsistent throwing platform.

[dplank]

I don't know what a throwing platform is, I just know he missed a lot of wide open receivers. Typically overthrown balls in mid level routes.

[Mikefive]

B-/C+. I think he trends closer to B territory due to his 3rd down proficiency and game-breaking ability to scramble.

It's hard for me to give a B grade to a guy who is playing with a subset offense. I think Nagy scaled back the playbook a bit after some earlier inconsistency and asked him to focus more on cleaning up his footwork and not turning the ball over. Mission accomplished. Bonus points for his mobility skills.

Biscuit needs to work on completing progressions, typical for a youngster. On non-first progression throws that aren't dumpoffs, he's not really that good. If he can get to downfield option C, he might be REALLY good.

[BR0D1E86]

I’m right on the C+ / B- line. I’ll settle on a C+.

He was ok. I think he’s in a good position to really take off next year. Second season in a complex offense, experience in general for a guy who just hasn’t thrown a lot of passes. And he showed a lot of in season improvement. He seems to have a strong work ethic, so I bet he makes some strides in his mechanics this offseason.

Overall it was an encouraging season.

[VA_Mountain_Bear]

I give Mitch a solid B/B+

I am grateful that the QB carousel I've watched since 1983 seems to be stopping with someone we can win with consistently. He has shown he has the tools to start, and will improve on them. He has the athleticism. He has the work ethic.

Most of the criticisms about his accuracy, footwork, settling down emotionally and trusting himself/system, reading defenses, and going through reads better, all of that I agree are things he can and must improve on.

I don't think it is "giving a pass" on seeing a correlation between Bisky's performance and his level of inexperience, it is accepting how human learning takes place. Repetitions in game setting are needed. You can learn some things about playing a guitar watching others play, but you don't get better at playing until you do it over and over yourself. Bisky still has less/similar game reps after the 2018 season post-high-school, than most QBs when they are getting drafted. (And consider for both his potential ceiling as he grows, and in evaluating his mistakes, that he has been getting those reps against NFL defenses not college ones) That matters. So, I can see where he came from when we drafted him, the psych hit he took under Fox, and the growth he has made in this season...it fits a pattern of continuous and solid growth through reps.

[Z Bear]

I think a lot of you are being too harsh. You have to grade him on the context of what you thought he was going to do this year. Comparing him to Tom Brady, Drew Brees or Aaron Rodgers is ridiculous as there is not one person on this planet that expected Mitch to be better than any of those 3. For a guy that has essentially 2 years worth of game experience since high school he is doing pretty dam well. He slightly exceeded what I thought he would do this year, hence my B grade. If you thought he should of put up 4,000 yards and a 3:1 TD:INT ratio and didn't hit that you would give him a low grade. But those were very unrealistic expectations to begin with if that was what you thought was going to happen.

[jamus34]

Based on his experience, what he did vs what we were initially expecting, and the overall outcome of the season I think he get's a solid B.

Or to put it this way. There wasn't a game I didn't think we couldn't win with him under center, even if we were behind. With Daniels under center I was worried every game he started.

If you wanted me to rate him as / against Starting caliber NFL QB's then he's probably more like a C+.

I really had no expectations for playoffs this year. I figured new coach, entirely new WR corp we would be better (maybe in the 8-8 range) but not playoff worthy. So really almost all expectations have been passed and this coming weekend is all gravy (and buffalo wings)

[G08]

Solid B from me. First year in a complex system, 2:1 TD to INT ratio, 7.4 YPA and a 95.4 QB rating. You can win with that, the kid just needs to clean up his fundamentals in the off-season and I sincerely hope that he does.

[docc]

I think it's quite difficult to grade Mitch. Last year with the Flintstones offense..Mitch looked like a dog on a short leash..

Nagy on the other hand has embolden Mitch to be MITCH..
make a mistake..go back out at get us some points..

He is now changing plays at the line..surveying the D as he shouts his cadence..

I say B and growing..given the ropes are now loose and we see what we have..
He was a chained toy last year..and growing this year into a nice QB..

[The Marshall Plan]

Given where he is in his career I'm grading him an A.

Rookie year (I'm not counting last year.), new HC, new OC, a complex offense, and a mostly new WR group.

https://www.pro-football-reference.com/ ... ubMi00.htm

In 14 games, he threw for 3,223 yards with 24 TDs and 12 INTs, completed about 2/3rds of his passes for a 95.4 rating. The Tampa Bay game inflated that with 6 TDs and 0 INTs.

If he was a fourth year pro with an established relationship with the HC and OC then it would be lower, but I have to consider how new everything is around him. He's off to a great start.

[Mikefive]

Given where he is in his career I'm grading him an A.

Rookie year (I'm not counting last year.), new HC, new OC, a complex offense, and a mostly new WR group.

https://www.pro-football-reference.com/ ... ubMi00.htm

In 14 games, he threw for 3,223 yards with 24 TDs and 12 INTs, completed about 2/3rds of his passes for a 95.4 rating. The Tampa Bay game inflated that with 6 TDs and 0 INTs.

If he was a fourth year pro with an established relationship with the HC and OC then it would be lower, but I have to consider how new everything is around him. He's off to a great start.

It seems like we're all on the same page. Different grades relate to the perspective. Yours... "given where he is in his career" is clearly different from "compared to NFL QBs in general". Thus, different grades. Even so though, the guy is doing well and has room to grow. I think next year, we'll see continued improvement.

[skamanfrank]

I really like the guy... both how he plays but even more so how he conducts himself in the media and how he (appears to) comes across in the huddle, on the sideline, etc.

However, I would be lying if I didn't say that I was hoping for more. I do feel slightly underwhelmed and I am wondering if his ceiling is not as high as I originally thought it might be. It is impossible for me to completely ignore Watson and Mahomes when I try to assess how he is performing when compared to the rest of the League... even though I know full well that a year under John Fox last year could almost be completely ignored.

THAT SAID. He has improved immensely both when compared to last season and compared to where he was when he started the season. I am convinced that he will continue to improve over the off season and by the time next year comes around. I hope he doesn't beat himself up too much as he seems to in the media and I hope he appreciates the many good things he does. He decision making seems to have improved a lot and he makes throws that are genuinely exciting.

It looks like my opinion is very similar to that of the OP. I may sound all doom and gloom but I am genuinely optimistic and will be much more confident in forming an opinion of him at the end next year. I'm really looking forward to watching him play next year. For now, a solid B.

[G08]

However, I would be lying if I didn't say that I was hoping for more. I do feel slightly underwhelmed and I am wondering if his ceiling is not as high as I originally thought it might be. It is impossible for me to completely ignore Watson and Mahomes when I try to assess how he is performing when compared to the rest of the League... even though I know full well that a year under John Fox last year could almost be completely ignored.

Which is completely fair, I'm inclined to feel the same way a bit. Trubisky is a reps kid by his own admission, I want him to have a full off-season in the same system and another training camp with his guys to really build this thing.

[skamanfrank]

However, I would be lying if I didn't say that I was hoping for more. I do feel slightly underwhelmed and I am wondering if his ceiling is not as high as I originally thought it might be. It is impossible for me to completely ignore Watson and Mahomes when I try to assess how he is performing when compared to the rest of the League... even though I know full well that a year under John Fox last year could almost be completely ignored.

Which is completely fair, I'm inclined to feel the same way a bit. Trubisky is a reps kid by his own admission, I want him to have a full off-season in the same system and another training camp with his guys to really build this thing.

I think part of the reason that I feel underwhelmed is my own fault- because I got all excited about Nagy and new signings and I went and put unfair expectations on the guy!

[The Marshall Plan]

Given where he is in his career I'm grading him an A.

Rookie year (I'm not counting last year.), new HC, new OC, a complex offense, and a mostly new WR group.

https://www.pro-football-reference.com/ ... ubMi00.htm

In 14 games, he threw for 3,223 yards with 24 TDs and 12 INTs, completed about 2/3rds of his passes for a 95.4 rating. The Tampa Bay game inflated that with 6 TDs and 0 INTs.

If he was a fourth year pro with an established relationship with the HC and OC then it would be lower, but I have to consider how new everything is around him. He's off to a great start.

It seems like we're all on the same page. Different grades relate to the perspective. Yours... "given where he is in his career" is clearly different from "compared to NFL QBs in general". Thus, different grades. Even so though, the guy is doing well and has room to grow. I think next year, we'll see continued improvement.

He is so new and everything around him is so new that I just don't think its fair to compare him to other established QBs yet. Next year or the year after absolutely.

Objectively, and I really like Biscuit, if I had to grade him in the "compared to NFL QBs in general" group, I would rate him slightly above average. B/B-, something like that. His scrambling, leadership, and his intelligence (he's learned a decent amount of a complex offense quickly and he doesn't do a lot of dumb things) make him above average in my mind if I had to grade him the other way.

[Atkins&Rebel]

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap300000 ... d-rankings" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Rankings from Rosenthal...
Mitch is sitting at 19. Rosenthal has Mayfield, Cousins, Dalton and Prescott ahead of Mitch, which I don't necessarily agree with, but the list gives us a metric of what most outsiders see.

[Umbali]

First off I wont compare his season to any other young QB because there are too many different facets to consider.
So compared to last year ( which again is difficult because of caveman offense ) he has grown a ton.

One of the areas I see is his ability to set aside bad plays and continue to grow and do better by not repeating too many mistakes. It was so easy to see how hyped he was against the Rams and how far overthrown everything was. He spoke on learning to control his emotions and so far has done so. He has learned a bit more to take what is given.

I would give him a B ish overall. I am pleased with him and hope to see MUCH more in the coming years.

[BuddyRyans46]

My biggest fear regarding Trubisky is that his ceiling is not going to be much higher than what we saw overall this season. The fact that his "break-out" game, statistically speaking, was against the team with the worst pass defense and secondary in the NFL really gives me pause, especially considering the way that his stats in that game skewed his season stats, as someone else has previously mentioned.

Per NFL.com's team pass defense rankings, the Bucs and the Lions had the worst and the 3rd worst pass defenses in the NFL this year. The cynic in me is tempted to chalk up Trubisky's performance against those 2 teams to their atrocious secondaries more than to proof that he is going to evolve into an elite or at least near-elite NFL QB for us.

The optimistic take is to obviously cite his lack of experience as a starting QB, both college and pro, and the fact that this was his first year in Nagy's offense, and to cite the outstanding throws he has shown he can make, etc. Sometimes that just feels like we are trying to talk ourselves into believing something that we kinda of already suspect isn't true.

I am REALLY HOPING that Trubisky makes HUGE Leap Forward in Year 2 (ie next year) and shows that he can be a perennial all-pro/future HOF elite or near elite QB. I am going to be pretty disappointed if his ceiling is as an Alex Smith type of QB, given where he was drafted and the fact that it would be really cool for the Bears to one day have their own Tom Brady or Drew Brees ,etc.