Rodgers thrives, Trubisky struggles as Packers beat bears



[ad_1]

One of the most notable streaks in the NFL is that the Chicago Bears haven’t had a first-team All-Pro quarterback since Johnny Lujack in 1950. Lujack has thrown four touchdowns with 21 interceptions this season. The game was a little different then.

Over seven decades, there’s a good chance you’ll come across a quarterback who has spent a season like the best in the NFL. Not the bears. They returned to Mitchell Trubisky on Sunday evening. Bears fans who clamored for Trubisky to replace Nick Foles quickly remembered why Trubisky was put on the bench in the first place.

Trubisky threw a bad interception on a deep pass and lost a fumble that was returned for a touchdown in a brutal first half. The Bears fell behind 27-3 and lost 41-25. The Packers have 8-3. The Bears, who started 5-1 this season, are down to 5-6.

The Bears have spent most of their long existence looking for a quarterback. It’s especially cruel when the Packers are in their 29th straight season with Brett Favre or Aaron Rodgers.

Aaron Rodgers destroys the bears, yet again

Rodgers had three touchdowns in the first period. The Bears defense, which has played well despite poor quarterback play for years, had no chance against Rodgers. This has been said often since Rodgers became Green Bay’s quarterback.

Rodgers appears to be doing his best for Chicago. Rodgers had 211 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions. If the Bears had been more competitive, Rodgers might have pulled in bigger numbers. Rodgers played 24 regular season games, the equivalent of 1.5 seasons, against the Bears. He has 5,773 yards, 51 touchdowns and 10 interceptions against Chicago. In the games Rodgers started against the Bears, the Packers are 19-5.

On a play in the first half, Rodgers bounced back into the pocket and went through all of his progress until he saw Allen Lazard open in the end zone. Rodgers threw Lazard a touchdown pass from an awkward angle for the type of climax the Bears haven’t seen very often in the past seven decades.

A player neither wins nor loses football games, not even a star quarterback. But it’s fair to wonder if the tables would turn into rivalry if the Bears had the chance to draft a Hall of Fame quarterback just once.

Chicago Bears Mitchell Trubisky drops the ball in the first half against the Packers.  (AP Photo / Morry Gash)
Chicago Bears Mitchell Trubisky drops the ball in the first half against the Packers. (AP Photo / Morry Gash)

Bears have a lot of problems

The Bears were hoping for an answer when they drafted Trubisky second overall in 2017. They passed Deshaun Watson and Patrick Mahomes to get Trubisky, who started 13 games in North Carolina. He was actually decent in 2018. Then in 2019 the wheels fell off, and that continued into 2020. He returned from a shoulder injury on Sunday and despite the NBC show trying to pushing the narrative that he would be better off with his second chance – we heard all about the great week of practice he had and how determined he was to make the most of this opportunity – he was the same Trubisky.

Trubisky’s first interception helped put the bears in a big hole. The Bears called for a through pass and Trubisky followed it, although safety Darnell Savage was waiting deep and caught an easy interception in the end zone. The Bears sank, then Trubisky was sacked and lost a fumble that the Packers returned for a touchdown and a 27-3 lead. At this point, many viewers must have wondered what else was on TV. They missed Trubisky by throwing another inexplicable interception at Savage in the third quarter. Rodgers followed up with his fourth touchdown pass of the evening.

Trubisky is not the answer. Foles, injured hip, is not the answer. Bears coach Matt Nagy and general manager Ryan Pace might not last longer either.

Understanding the quarterback’s situation will be a big priority in the next offseason. At least it’s a familiar position for bears.

Learn more about Yahoo Sports:

[ad_2]

Source link