Bears general manager Ryan Pace is certain to be a big talking point Sunday night when the Bears welcome the Chiefs to Soldier Field for Sunday Night Football. He was, after all, the man who drafted Mitch Trubisky over Patrick Mahomes.
It was a decision that's stained an otherwise solid resume of talent evaluation for Pace, and while it's unfair to write off Trubisky as a complete bust, it's clear he was the wrong choice.
Pace, who spoke with the team's flagship radio station on Sunday, said his focus won't be on the game's biggest storyline Sunday night.
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Chicago sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
“You understand the narrative — players at the same position in the same draft class are always compared at any position," Pace said of the Trubisky vs. Mahomes drama. "But our focus is on our situation and continued growth from our quarterback and really the whole offense.”
Chicago hasn't had the kind of offensive growth that was expected in coach Matt Nagy's second season on the job. If anything, there's been some regression. The Bears rank 28th in offensive yards per game this year (298.4). Put another way, the offense is playing similar football as the Dolphins, who are averaging just over 290 yards per game. Not good.
“We talked about finding an offensive identity and I think in a lot of ways we’ve done that," Pace said of the Bears' recent 400-yard offensive outputs. "You felt it the previous two weeks, but we know we can play better than how we performed in Green Bay. That’s a game where we moved the ball, but we just didn’t finish drives. We’ve got to be better in that area.”
Offensive production is usually tied to the quarterback. And it's true for the Bears in 2019. Trubisky's been playing better in recent weeks, and the offense has responded with those more productive afternoons.
NFL
“You look at just his knowledge and comfort level in the offense in general," Pace said. "He’s finishing Year 2 in this offensive scheme and every single rep is important for his growth. I think as he gains more reps you just feel his ability to play faster and more decisive and we’ve seen that jump out in the second part of the season. I just think that comes with that experience.”
Click here to download the new MyTeams App by NBC Sports! Receive comprehensive coverage of the Bears.