What Dowell Loggains wants to see out of Mitch Trubisky in Thursday's preseason opener

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Since the start of training camp, Mitch Trubisky has impressed with the physical skills that made him the No. 2 pick in this year’s draft. His accuracy, arm strength and athleticism have flashed in Bourbonnais on a handful of highlight-reel plays, but also on the more mundane reps of training camp. 

During the live scrimmage portion of Family Fest on Saturday at Soldier Field, Trubisky showed those same traits in a slightly-more-intense setting. 

But things will change for Trubisky on Thursday, when he finally faces an opposing defense not wearing an orange “C” on their helmets. That means, among other things, Trubisky can be hit for the first time in a Bears uniform while likely getting a good amount of playing time against the Denver Broncos. 

What offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains wants to see is how Trubisky handles commanding the Bears’ offense in a game setting, as opposed to the more structured feel of practice. 

“We judge these guys on who can get us in the end zone,” Loggains said. “It’s really the job of the quarterback. It doesn’t matter how it looks, you’ve just got to score points. That’s his job, so getting out there and now you’re dealing with the shot clock, making sure that we’re getting lined up right. At some point he is going to be with the threes and now you’ve got young receivers, young guys. Can you have total command in the situation you’re given and run the offense effectively?”

As things were on Saturday — with Trubisky wearing an orange non-contact jersey — wide receiver Victor Cruz liked what he saw, and it fits with what Loggains wants to see on Thursday. 

“I think he handled it well,” Cruz said. “I think he controlled the huddle, he commanded the team well and he made some plays out there. So it was good to see.”

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