Writtten by Kevin Patra at NFL.com
The curtain came down swiftly on the opening night of Mitch-a-palooza after Mitchell Trubisky tossed a game-sealing interception inside his own 25-yard-line with just over two minutes remaining.
The pick came as the rookie rolled to his right trying to find tight end Zach Miller. Minnesota Vikings Pro Bowl safety Harrison Smith broke on the pass, swiping the ball and a chance for Trubisky to make a game-winning drive in his NFL debut.
“That’s Mitch being a baller and trying to make a play. And for me I’d like to get back and break that up for him,” Miller said after the 20-17 loss.
Despite tossing the interception, Trubisky’s difference-making talent was obvious from the start as he made a heretofore zombie-like offense come to life.
“Our guys feel it. They feel his presence,” coach John Fox said. “I know he scrambled for a first down. I know they were able to do some different things with him as far as attacking the corner. For a first outing, I thought he was really good. I know his teammates feel the same way and he’ll just get better with time.”
Mitch-a-palooza started out hot Monday night, with the rookie displaying pinpoint accuracy and rolling out of the pocket to dart passes all over the field. Penalties bogged down the Bears’ offense in the first half, wiping away scoring opportunity after scoring opportunity. The party then hit a lull as Trubisky struggled, missing connection after connection. It then heated back up late in the fourth quarter as the Bears rallied to tie the score at 17. Then, like cops getting called to a block party, the mood was quickly wiped away by the interception.
While Trubisky took blame for the interception, teammates placed the blame for the loss on their shoulders, pointing to penalties that took points off the board early and missed assignments that led to botched plays.
To continue reading this article, click here.
