Bears need to trust Mitch Trubisky, NFL power rankings, Dak and more

The Chicago Bears are lucky to be 1-1. If they want to make another playoff run, head coach Matt Nagy must trust Mitchell Trubisky.

Phil Simms tells a story.

In 1986, the former New York Giants quarterback was mired in a slump. Before a Week 11 game against the Minnesota Vikings, Simms’ head coach Bill Parcells implored Simms to keep throwing. Regardless of the outcome, he was sticking by him.

Simms broke out, and the Giants didn’t lose another contest all year long en route to a title.

If the Chicago Bears want to be a contender, they need to give the same treatment to Mitchell Trubisky.

Maybe believing in him sinks the season. After all, Trubisky has shown nothing to inspire confidence early on. So far, he’s 42-of-72 for 348 yards with zero touchdowns and an interception. Ugly.

Chicago head coach Matt Nagy says he has faith in Trubisky, but his playcalling tells the truth. Most passes are quick-hitters, designed one-reads to make sure the quarterback merely keeps the offense on schedule. Anything more is a risk, and Nagy doesn’t trust Trubisky to make a play.

Playing a scared game isn’t a winner’s move. It’s telling the other 52 players there’s no confident in the quarterback. If the coaches don’t believe, the roster sure as hell won’t.

On Sunday, the Bears should have lost to a dreadful Denver Broncos team. If not for a horrific roughing the passer call against second-year linebacker Bradley Chubb, the Broncos escape with a 14-13 win. Instead, Chicago was gifted 15 yards, and kicker Eddy Pineiro nailed a 53-yard field goal as time expired.

Ultimately, the Bears are going nowhere with Trubisky playing in this capacity. Chicago has one of the league’s toughest schedules, featuring tilts with the Kansas City Chiefs, Los Angeles Chargers, Minnesota Vikings (x2), Green Bay Packers, Philadelphia Eagles, Dallas Cowboys, New Orleans Saints and Los Angeles Rams.

The Bears will struggle to win a single game against those teams with Trubisky throwing receiver screens ad nauseam.

Trubisky has always been limited. Coming out of North Carolina, many believed he was Andy Dalton with little upside, but also without the low floor. Bears general manager Ryan Pace bought in. He’s gotten what many believed he would. The result is Chicago having a championship-caliber defense with an anchor under center.

If the Bears are going to overcome Trubisky, they must empower him. Nobody will believe in the third-year quarterback — least of all opposing defenses — until the staff allows Trubisky to shed his shackles and take chances. Opening up the offense will provide more opportunities, and it’ll breed confidence.

The Giants once believed in their quarterback. It led a team with a great defense and a limited offense to winning a championship.

The Bears need to do the same.

Power rankings

Top 10 potential trade targets for contenders

1. Minkah Fitzpatrick, CB, Miami Dolphins
2. A.J. Green, WR, Cincinnati Bengals
3. Patrick Peterson, CB, Arizona Cardinals
4. Emmanuel Sanders, WR, Denver Broncos
5. Darius Slay, CB, Detroit Lions
6. Xavien Howard, CB, Miami Dolphins
7. Yannick Ngakoue, DE, Jacksonville Jaguars
8. Trent Williams, OT, Washington Redskins
9. Melvin Gordon, RB, Los Angeles Chargers
10. Josh Norman, CB, Washington Redskins

Quotable

If this is it for Adam Vinatieri, what a career. A surefire Hall of Famer, Vinatieri entered the NFL as an undrafted rookie out of tiny South Dakota State in 1996. Over the last 24 seasons, Vinatieri has authored the most illustrious placekicking career in league history, winning four Super Bowls, two on game-winning kicks with the clock on triple zeroes.

At 46 years old, Vinatieri has struggled mightily this season. In two games, he’s missed three extra points and a pair of field goals. With Vinatieri’s comments to The Athletic’s Stephen Holder, it appears he’s at least strongly considering retirement.

If so, the championship moments are indelible. The end is anything but.

Podcast

Random stat

The 1966 New York Giants allowed 35.8 points per game, the worst mark in NFL history.

In that season, New York surrendered 250 points between Weeks 10-14, a whopping 50 points per game. The lowlight was a Week 12 loss to the Redskins, who rolled up a single-season record of 72 points in a game.

Info learned this week

1. Cowboys continue to watch Dak’s price rise in early going

The Cowboys should back up a BRINKS truck for Dak Prescott. They was another week, it might take two trucks.

Prescott threw for 405 yards and four touchdowns in a Week 1 win over the Giants. This Sunday saw another fantastic performance, going 26-of-30 for 269 yards and three touchdowns in a 31-21 victory over the Redskins.

Under new offensive coordinator Kellen Moore, Prescott has been kept on schedule and in rhythm.  The result has been a reborn Dallas attack. Marrying the Cowboys’ formidable defense with this version of Prescott has America’s Team looking like a legitimate contender.

All this means more money for Prescott. Owner/general manager Jerry Jones made a mistake by not locking their quarterback up before Russell Wilson, Jared Goff and Carson Wentz inked extensions. Before, the annual range was likely between $32 and $35 million.

Now? Prescott could gamble and wait until after the season. If he continues putting up numbers, the Cowboys will be forced to use the franchise tag while Patrick Mahomes and Deshaun Watson sign mega-extensions, only raising Prescott’s value even more. Of course, that’s one scenario of a million.

Even if Prescott signs tonight, the contract will be larger than it was a few months ago.

2. Vikings have major issue with Cousins

The Vikings have a quarterback issue. Never good when you have $84 million tied in the position.

Minnesota lost 21-16 to the Packers on Sunday, but the loss is of lesser import than the reason for it. Yes, the offensive line isn’t good, but neither is the player behind it. The Vikings won in Week 1 with Kirk Cousins throwing 10 passes. Trailing 21-0, Cousins was forced to throw 32 times, competing 14 for 230 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions.

Additionally, teammates can see the coaching staff doesn’t trust Cousins. Limiting him to 10 throws and then being conservative when possible this week, it sends a message of distrust. Unintentional, but it permeates the locker room. It also permeates Cousins’ mindset.

If Cousins doesn’t play significantly better, Minnesota isn’t a real factor in the NFC. The same can be said for the Bears, who are another 1-1 NFC North team with quarterback problems looming over a talented roster.

Right now, the division can be summed up thusly: Cousins. Trubisky. Aaron Rodgers.

Advantage, Packers.

3. Kupp proving why he’s the difference in Rams’ attack

Todd Gurley. Jared Goff. Robert Woods. Brandin Cooks. All are terrific. All made better by Cooper Kupp.

Kupp missed the final eight regular-season contests and all of the postseason last year with a torn ACL. The Rams went from 8-0 to 5-3 before being limited to three points in the Super Bowl. Kupp, Goff’s most-targeted player when healthy, left a void Los Angeles never filled.

On Sunday, Kupp’s value was on full display. The Rams beat the Saints 27-9, with the Eastern Washington product going for five catches for 120 yards and a touchdown. Los Angeles almost exclusively plays a three-wide set (11 personnel), and with Kupp as a movable chess piece, head coach Sean McVay can be at his most creative.

4. Jaguars might be team to watch come trade deadline

The Jacksonville Jaguars have ample reason to be sellers this season.

Jacksonville is 0-2 after losing 13-12 to the Houston Texans on Sunday. With Nick Foles out for at least two months and other star players fighting injuries — A.J. Bouye, Cam Robinson and Marqise Lee among them — the Jaguars have a brutal climb ahead towards a playoff spot.

Should things continue going south, general manager Dave Caldwell should consider acquiring future assets to unload name players.

Yannick Ngakoue was mentioned in the power rankings, and for good reason. According to a source, it’s near-certainty Ngakoue will be given the franchise tag come February. The two sides never got particularly close to a long-term deal. With Jacksonville already a projected $20 million over the caps for 2020, it makes sense to trade players instead of releasing without compensation.

Beyond Ngakoue, the Jaguars should potentially take calls on defensive end Calais Campbell, center Brandon Linder, linebacker Jake Ryan, defensive tackle Marcell Dareus. Jacksonville will undoubtedly get calls on Bouye and fellow star cornerback Jalen Ramsey as well, with the former on a palatable deal and the latter on his rookie pact.

5. Browns, Jets face critical Week 2 contest

As the old saying goes, put up or shutup.

The Cleveland Browns talked all summer. They filled magazine pages and graced the covers. Now they find themselves staring at a borderline must-win in Week 2 against the New York Jets.

After losing by 30 points to the Tennessee Titans at home, the Browns now take on a Sam Darnold-less Jets team on Monday night. New York is also without defensive stars Quinnen Williams and C.J. Mosley. In short, the Jets appear an easy mark.

Losing under the light would be a massive blow to Cleveland.

For starters, it would reveal the Browns as paper tigers. If you can’t beat Trevor Siemian and a depleted Jets team, you aren’t a true threat in the AFC.

Additionally, the schedule is hazardous in the coming weeks. The next five games: vs. Rams, at Ravens, vs. Seahawks and at Patriots. Even a great team would be happy with a split. At 1-1, splitting would be acceptable. At 0-2, it would be anything but.

History lesson

An important chapter in NFL history ended on Sunday.

With the Chiefs’ 28-10 win over the Oakland Raiders, the last game ever played in Oakland between the two rivals is now complete.

The Chiefs and Raiders have been feuding since their halcyon days in the American Football League. Now with Vegas looming for the silver and black, Oakland is going to soon be a memory.

Much to the chagrin of Raiders fans, the most famous game between the two foes at the Coliseum was the 1969 AFL Championship Game, the final AFL contest for all time. Kansas City won 17-7, earning a trip to Super Bowl IV.

In a broader scope, the Coliseum saw many indelible moments ranging from the Heidi Bowl in ’68 to the Sea of Hands in ’74 and the Criminal Element Game in ’76. Google those and have some fun.

Five games remain in the Coliseum, but the most important and impassioned rivalry it ever saw is now a figment of the past.

Parting shot

Two future Hall of Fame quarterbacks hurt. Both teams in trouble.

Pittsburgh lost 28-26 in its home opener to the Seahawks, putting the Steelers in a rare 0-2 position. With Ben Roethlisberger’s elbow injury, questions arise about whether this is becoming a lost season. The Steelers have a tough slate ahead, with games against the 49ers, Ravens and Chargers in the next month.

In New Orleans, the Saints watched Drew Brees exit in the first half with a thumb injury. Sean Payton’s team is 1-1 thanks to a Wil Lutz miracle, but the concerns are real. If Brees isn’t right (or able to suit up), New Orleans is severely limited offensively. The Saints have the benefit of a weak division with the Carolina Panthers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Atlanta Falcons all middling, but getting home-field advantage is crucial for the dome team.

Hopefully, Roethlisberger and Brees return quickly. Even if they’re back next Sunday, their injuries very likely cost their respective teams a loss, defeats which could spell the difference come December.