One of the biggest mysteries of the 2019 season is the lack of running from quarterback Mitch Trubisky. Is Ryan Pace partly to blame for taking this piece away from the offense?
The Mitch Trubisky regression in year three has been damning. It has all but shaken a franchise that was supposed to be on the rise for the foreseeable future. Now, the team is scrambling to figure out what went wrong.
One of the most stunning aspects of 2019 is the lack of running from Trubisky. Trubisky never killed teams from the pocket in 2018 and was much better on the move. However, this year Trubisky is playing more from the pocket. He is on pace for 28 rush attempts, compared to 64 last season. That is a steep decline from an effective part of the offense.
Over the past month or so we have tried to figure out what gives. Is Trubisky hurt? Is Matt Nagy specifically telling him not to run? Now, we are wondering if this decision goes up to Ryan Pace.
There are plenty of takeaways, but the main one being that Pace saw Drew Brees when he saw Trubisky. Pace came from New Orleans and got his job for helping them scout players there. He is forever loyal to Brees.
When you think of Mitch Trubisky the last thing you think of is Drew Brees. Last year, Trubisky was closer to Lamar Jackson. Still, entering year three, it is clear Pace wants to see Trubisky on the Brees trajectory.
That means no more designed runs, no more getting Trubisky on the move with his legs. That means beating teams pre-snap and from the pocket with quick execution. We have seen the results.
When asked about a scramble, Matt Nagy was clear to note he was happy Trubisky was able to turn a negative run into positive yards. However, we never see that as a function of the offense.
Is Ryan Pace mandating that Trubisky develop from the pocket to meet his wish of Trubisky playing similar to Brees in style? It sounds farfetched until you read how obsessed Pace was the Brees comparison.