Tar Heels in the Pros: What Mitchell Trubisky's six TDs mean for his legacy

On Sunday, Mitchell Trubisky had the game of his career. 

In a 48-10 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the second-year quarterback threw for six touchdowns, becoming the second youngest quarterback in NFL history to do so. 

Since Trubisky was taken No. 2 overall by the Chicago Bears in the 2017 NFL Draft, critics have questioned whether it was wise for the Bears to use their pick on such an unproven commodity. Especially given the success of Deshaun Watson and Patrick Mahomes, two quarterbacks chosen after Trubisky, the selection has come under fire. 

But on Sunday, Trubisky displayed the passing ability that got him drafted so highly in the first place. The former Tar Heel threw for 354 yards for an average of 13.62 yards per attempt. He had eight passes for 20 yards or more, and six for 30 or more. 

Trubisky was not the only former Tar Heel to shine in Week 4. His former UNC teammate and current Cincinnati Bengals' running back Giovani Bernard ran for two touchdowns and 69 yards in a 37-36 win over the Atlanta Falcons. 

In the first drive against the Bucs, Trubisky established his dominance through the air. He completed three passes and added a 23-yard run to march the Bears down the field from their own 25-yard line. He capped off the drive with a 39-yard delivery to Trey Burton for his first touchdown of the day.

The Ohio native was especially effective at the beginning of quarters. His most impressive display came on the Bears’ first possession of the second quarter as he picked up first down after first down. 

On back-to-back plays on the drive, Trubisky threw for more than 30 yards. He picked out his two favorite targets, Taylor Gabriel and Tarik Cohen, for a 33-yarder and then a 35-yarder. He finished the drive with a 9-yard pass to Cohen.  

Scoring drives like those Trubisky put together in the second quarter were the reason the Bears gambled on him in the first place. Sunday’s game was a vindication for Trubisky, who in a press conference after the game told assembled reporters, “that was kind of the breakthrough that we were hoping for.” 

Later in the quarter, Trubisky threw a 47-yard bomb to Burton. He finished the one-two punch on the next play, hitting Josh Bellamy with a 20-yard touchdown pass to extend the Bears’ lead to 28-3.

His ability to put together scoring drives was something Trubisky has not consistently shown in the NFL, but was reminiscent of his days at North Carolina. 

Against Pittsburgh in 2016, Trubisky led one of the most memorable drives in recent UNC football history. He brought the Tar Heels back from a 13-point deficit in the fourth quarter, and led a game-winning drive that ended with a touchdown pass on the final play of the game. 

Since being drafted, Trubisky has struggled in the NFL. In his rookie season, he threw seven touchdown passes. Yet in just two quarters on Sunday, Trubisky threw five. His last score of the first half came on a 3-yard shuffle pass to Gabriel near the end of the second quarter. 

Trubisky had a quiet second half, compared to the lofty standards he set in the first. But he again found the end zone on the Bears’ first drive of the third quarter. The Bears received the ball in favorable field position followinga Jameis Winston interception, and Trubisky capitalized. 

He connected with Cohen again, this time to the tune of 28 yards, to bring the Bears to the Bucs' 3-yard line. On third down, he rolled right and found Gabriel for a 3-yard score, securing his sixth and final touchdown of the day.  

Though his performance was great — Trubisky completed 19 of 26 passes and posted a 154.6 passer rating — his numbers in the first three weeks were pedestrian. He threw two touchdowns and three interceptions in games against Green Bay, Seattle and Arizona. 

It remains to be seen whether Trubisky’s game was a flash in the pan, or a big first step towards living up to the expectations that come with being the second overall pick. 

@HoltMcKeithan

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