Count Dowell Loggains among those who are eager to see rookie quarterback Mitchell Trubisky's first NFL start Monday night against the Vikings.
"We're excited about the opportunity to get Mitch on the field," said the Bears offensive coordinator. "He's worked really hard and he's as close to ready as any rookie I've ever been around, so we're excited to see him play."
Selected by the Bears with the second pick in the draft, Trubisky made major strides during offseason practices and in training camp. He then excelled in the preseason, completing 36 of 53 passes for 364 yards with three touchdowns, no interceptions and a stellar 106.2 passer rating.
After serving as the Bears' No. 2 quarterback in the first four regular-season games, Trubisky was named to replace Mike Glennon as the starter Monday.
Asked why he feels Trubisky is so ready for the No. 1 job, Loggains said: "How fast he's processed things, his work ethic, the virtual reality, all the things he's done since he got here; learning the playbook, learning the terminology, which is not easy coming from a college offense."
Bears quarterback Mitchell Trubisky.
Trubisky's athleticism was also a key factor in the decision to anoint him the starter.
"Anytime that a quarterback can use his legs, he can buy time to do things and extend plays," Loggains said. "Even when the reads aren't clear or you get fooled on a coverage, the ability to buy time is definitely something that helps young quarterbacks."
It's no secret that the Bears will try to take advantage of Trubisky's mobility against a stingy Vikings defense that recorded six sacks of Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford last Sunday in Detroit.
"His skill set is different than Mike," Loggains said. "He is a more mobile guy. He moves well. Mike was your prototypical drop-back passer. Mitch does do things differently and we'll obviously try to put him in some of those situations that he feels more comfortable with."
Playing with a quarterback that possesses Trubisky's ability to improvise on the run will require the other 10 players on the offense to adjust accordingly.
"There's positives and negatives that come with that and everyone has to get a feel for it," Loggains said. "There's no doubt that receivers love that stuff because it extends plays and all of a sudden there's a street-ball element that comes into play. It is different and it's different for the offensive line.
"You've got to be fundamentally good and receivers have to understand the scramble rules. But I feel like it's definitely an advantage, not a disadvantage."
Although Trubisky is a 23-year-old rookie, he's not shy about sharing his thoughts with Loggains concerning the game plan that's being installed.
"He has a quiet confidence," Loggains said, "where he has no problem saying what he's good with: 'I don't see that play well. I really like this. Can we do more of that?' Whatever that may be—under center, shotgun pistol—all those type things that you can do."
While Trubisky's promotion no doubt will provide a boost to the Bears offense, Loggains understands that the rookie quarterback will need a stronger performance from his supporting cast than Glennon received.
"To get good quarterback play, the other 10 guys on the field need to do their jobs," Loggains said "Mitch Trubisky is a very good young player, but he is not a magic wand. We need to play better around him; that starts with me and goes to every position group.
"We've got to eliminate drops. We need to eliminate the negative runs and the negative plays because it's really hard to play quarterback when it's second-and-15 and it's a known passing situation. We lead the NFL in plays behind the sticks. No quarterback can be successful that way."
Although Trubisky can't do it alone, Loggains is confident that the rookie will excel and relishes the opportunity to work with the young quarterback.
"I'm a huge Mitchell Trubisky fan," Loggains said. "I believe in him. I think he's going to be a special player. I just want to do my part in the whole thing and help him and get the other guys to play well around him because I do think he's capable of playing at a high level."
