Mitch Trubisky looks the part in debut, offers hope for Bears despite late pick

With 2 minutes, 32 seconds left in a tie game Monday night at Soldier Field, Bears rookie quarterback Mitch Trubisky stood 90 yards from entering another level of Bears lore — and the end zone.

The hype that preceded Trubisky’s first NFL start would have paled in comparison with the avalanche of adulation that would have followed a game-winning drive in his debut.

Everybody can wait at least another week before anointing a legend. But legitimacy, it seems, returned to the Bears quarterback position despite the unhappy ending Trubisky edited himself.

Trubisky forced a pass to tight end Zach Miller that Vikings safety Harrison Smith intercepted at the Bears 28-yard line to suck the air out of a building that had come alive with possibility. Kai Forbath kicked a 26-yard field goal with 12 seconds left to give the Vikings a 20-17 victory over a Bears team that played just well enough to lose.

“That was basically me trying to do too much,” Trubisky said.

The basic reaction among Bears fans: Throw something at the TV, cuss at the guy in the next seat and say, “Here we go again.” That also would be the wrong one. Trubisky couldn’t finish the job, but his first start gave the Bears something to build on. Failing now will help him succeed later.

“He’s going to do nothing but get better,” Bears coach John Fox said.

That conclusion came easily. The biggest test Trubisky passed involved the eyes. He looked the part, demonstrating terrific accuracy, especially on the run, such as when he delivered a deep pass on the money to Tre McBride that was broken up. He showed tremendous athleticism moving the pocket and escaping the rush that opens possibilities for offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains.

It’s premature to say Trubisky’s future will include the Super Bowl or Pro Bowl, but he flashed the skill set necessary to make the Bears exciting again. You can see what general manager Ryan Pace saw in the prospect he boldly traded up to draft second. Trubisky will make mistakes like throwing late picks to Pro Bowl safeties, sure. But he also will gain believers, one athletic play at a time.

“Our guys feel it,” Fox said. “They feel his presence.”

So did a football city on a memorable sports day in Chicago. In the fourth quarter of a game involving a Bears team staring at 12 losses, the home crowd roared and 56,738 fans started waving white towels. An excitement missing far too often in recent years filled the stadium. Curiosity and intrigue want back on the season ticket waiting list. That’s not insignificant in an organization striving to regain relevance.

Look beyond Trubisky’s numbers. They don’t take into account all the missed blocks by the offensive line or dropped passes by wide receivers. Trubisky’s final tally was pedestrian at first glance: 12 of 25 for 128 yards with one touchdown and one interception for a 60.1 passer rating. But the Bears made progress against the Vikings regardless of score, statistics or your fantasy football results.

In reality, that was all the Bears wanted from starting him. They were looking for hope, and it showed up wearing No. 10. They were searching for a reason to think their patience will be rewarded and found it.

They would have liked a victory, too, but this stuff takes time.

“I’m going to fix my mistakes,” Trubisky vowed.

That’s what you want to hear from a young player. And Trubisky taking ownership of the loss with teammates is what you want to see.

Trubisky admitted getting lucky on his first career touchdown pass, a 20-yarder to Miller that was deflected by safety Andrew Sendejo. At the end of the play, which included Trubisky rolling right and pointing for Miller to break off the route, the quarterback sheepishly extended his hands, turned his palms toward the sky and shrugged.

But he will take it. The Bears will take it.

Everybody knew the offense would struggle against a solid Vikings defense, with or without Trubisky, but we didn’t know how the rookie would handle the challenge. We knew to expect pre-snap penalties (even though Fox blamed the refs for the delay of game) and wasted timeouts. We didn’t know if Trubisky would wilt under the bright lights of “Monday Night Football” or collapse under the complexities of an NFL scheme.

We now know not much fazes him and how hard he competes. Unfortunately, the Bears also learned he will have to stop trying to make something out of nothing, but that comes with experience.

“He’s got what it takes, there’s no doubt in my mind,” Fox said.

For the most cynical of Bears fans, a punter throwing a 38-yard touchdown pass offered a convenient punch line. You know, the quarterback-cursed franchise debuting its hot-shot rookie needed to rely upon a guy who makes a living with his foot to put some oomph in the passing game. And Pat O’Donnell’s third-quarter pass to running back Benny Cunningham on a fake punt was a thing of beauty.

But the days of making jokes at the expense of the Bears passing game appear to be over. That’s my biggest takeaway from the start of the Mitch Trubisky era — even bigger than the Vikings takeaway that ruined the night.

dhaugh@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @DavidHaugh

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