Bears vs Chiefs Preseason Week 3: Five Questions with Arrowhead Addict
2. We believe the Bears offense will have a lot in common with what the Chiefs run. What can Bears fans expect the offense to look like? Is Mitch Trubisky the right guy to run that offense?
You would certainly know Trubisky’s skill set better than me, but it’s important to note that there’s not exactly a “type” that will best run the offense. Reid was a master at taking a solid, proven offensive blueprint and adding myriad layers of complexity to that playbook based upon the personnel involved.
Chicago Bears
I think this is important because the headlines will mislead you. “Trey Burton could be the next Travis Kelce. Tarik Cohen is the next Tyreek Hill.” The way those players emerged is not because Andy Reid/Matt Nagy pushed them to be “the next someone else” but rather played solely to their strengths. Tyreek Hill is an efficient deep threat in the NFL (a complete anomaly when you analyze the metrics given that most downfield threats catch 50% or so of their targets). Kelce is a match-up nightmare because he’s employed in very specific ways. He might succeed with any team, but he’s an All-Pro with the Chiefs.
I would trust that Burton, Cohen, Howard, Shaheen, Robinson and others will find their true footing under Nagy. I would also be aware that it will all take significant time. Hill, for instance, was a two-year project to get to No. 1 wide receiver status as a settled spot. Kelce never crossed the 1,000 yard barrier until his fourth NFL season. Even the Patrick Mahomes torch took one year to pass, a lifetime in today’s NFL when every rookie is thrust into the spotlight as early as possible.
3. Speaking of Trubisky, he and Patrick Mahomes will be linked throughout their careers as a part of the quarterback class of 2017. How is Mahomes progressing in his development? What kind of production do you expect from him in 2018 as a full-time starter?
There will be hiccups just like any first-year starter, but the one oft-repeated refrain from Andy Reid is a significant one: Patrick Mahomes never makes the same mistake twice. We’ve seen it in very limited doses this preseason already but if that’s the case, it will be the one aspect of his game that will allow him to succeed where other gunslinger types have failed.