CHICAGO — Bears coach John Fox said the team has complete confidence in quarterback Mitchell Trubisky, even after the rookie committed a pair of costly turnovers in Monday night’s 20-17 loss to the Minnesota Vikings.
“I think our guys feel it. They feel his presence,” Fox said.
Trubisky’s performance was inconsistent in his highly anticipated NFL debut.
Mitchell Trubisky finished the game 12-of-25 passing for 128 yards, one touchdown and one interception — a 60.1 quarterback rating — in his first start for the Bears on Monday night. Patrick Gorski-USA TODAY Sports
The Bears tried to capitalize on Trubisky’s mobility. Eight of Trubisky’s 25 pass attempts came outside the pocket, according to ESPN Stats & Information. Trubisky’s predecessor, Mike Glennon, had four such throws in four games before Fox switched quarterbacks in the wake of Week 4’s blowout defeat to the Green Bay Packers.
“We were able to do some things with him as far as attacking the corner,” Fox said. “Those things will grow with time. For a first outing, I thought he was really good. I know his teammates feel the same way. He’ll just get better with time.”
However, Trubisky was responsible for a late fourth-quarter interception that set up Minnesota’s game-winning 26-yard field goal.
“That was basically me trying to do too much, trying to make a play when I just need to know the situation — throw the ball away and play another down,” Trubisky said.
The rookie finished the game 12-of-25 passing for 128 yards, 1 touchdown and 1 interception — a 60.1 quarterback rating.
Trubisky was just 6-of-16 passing on second and third down, with seven off-target throws, according to ESPN Stats & Information.
“I just have to do a better job of taking care of the football,” Trubisky said. “We need to work on the little things, really.”
Still, Fox said Trubisky’s positives outweighed the negatives.
“He’s got what it takes,” Fox said. “There’s no doubt in my mind. For a first game, I go back to watching guys like Joe Montana in his first game. I’ve seen a few of them. I’m not making comparisons at this point, but he will do nothing but get better.”
Ben Roethlisberger had never thrown more than three interceptions in a game before Sunday, when he threw five during a 30-9 home loss to Jacksonville. Before this defeat, the Roethlisberger-era Pittsburgh Steelers had lost at home by more than 20 points just once, an NFL low, during his 13-plus seasons with the team.
How worried should the Steelers be about their 35-year-old, retirement-talking, mortality-musing quarterback?
Roethlisberger, having publicly mulled walking away from the game before the season, suggested to reporters Sunday that he might be finished. Is he? And what should the Steelers be thinking? Posing those questions to five seasoned coaches and evaluators drew out fascinating insights.
Not worried about this season
There wasn’t much for the Steelers’ offense to feel great about following Sunday’s loss to Jacksonville. Justin K. Aller/Getty Images
All five league insiders thought it was way too early for the Steelers or their fans to worry about Roethlisberger and the team in 2017.
“I’m not that worried at all,” one former general manager said. “He has been doing it long enough. I don’t think his skill set has evaporated. I just think he is on a bad little roll right now. Maybe I’m dead wrong, but that is kind of what I feel.”
Even before Roethlisberger’s self-doubting comments came to light, a coach with AFC North experience said he thought Roethlisberger, despite his legendary toughness, was right there with all the other quarterbacks who sometimes seem to revel in playing the role of drama queen. Publicly mulling retirement and publicly questioning his own play creates its own drama.
“Until I get more evidence, I’m going to say Ben is going to end up being better than he is right now and back to his normal self,” this coach said. “I just don’t think the team is in sync at all. It doesn’t feel right from the outside, but they are 3-2 and they are on top of the AFC North anyway. So, here we go.”
This coach noted that Chicago’s ability to run the ball put a level of pressure on the Steelers’ offense that they were not accustomed to facing. And then he called Jacksonville a “physical, tough-ass” team on defense that was primed to take advantage of a quarterback and offense that have not hit stride.
“It is way too early to panic,” an evaluator who has seen the Steelers in person this season said. “This is what happens when your guys hold out. What they really need is to stop the run and stop turning the ball over, and things will calm down.”
“I have thought in the past they would kind of take a step back, and they really have not, but I think they still go through little slumps like everyone else,” the former GM said. “I think their core is still real.”
Facing a Favre-like dilemma
One veteran personnel evaluator said he saw parallels to what the Steelers are going through and what the Packers went through when Brett Favre was winding down in Green Bay a decade ago. One big difference: There is no Aaron Rodgers waiting to take over in Pittsburgh. The consensus among coaches and evaluators was that backups Josh Dobbs and Landry Jones do not project as future starters.
“If I am Pittsburgh, I am thinking, ‘Man, I wish this guy [Roethlisberger] would quit talking about retirement,'” an evaluator said. “They need to have a plan moving forward because they don’t know what this guy is going to do. It is hard having a plan when the guy can just decide he wants to play five more years. They are in the Favre-Green Bay mode right now, where you could draft a guy, but then Ben could play another three years and you have to force his hand.”
This evaluator thought the Steelers would probably draft their Roethlisberger replacement once Roethlisberger retires. That could be easier said than done, however, because Roethlisberger could annually draw out his decision deep into the offseason.
“It is a tough situation to be in because he is yanking your chain,” this evaluator said. “They usually make the right decision. I know it is wearing them out, all the talk. To be honest with you, are you guaranteed you’ll get anybody ever better than him? No. So, you go with him as long as you can. Replacing Favre worked out for Green Bay, but I’m sure there was a point in time where they were like, ‘We are not playing this guy [Rodgers] over Brett Favre.”
These situations usually come down to whether the team thinks it has a better alternative. There clearly is not one on the Steelers’ roster now.
Preparing for the end
For all their inconsistencies, the Steelers emerged from Week 5 sitting atop the AFC North. Their record is 3-2 for the sixth time in Roethlsiberger’s 14 seasons. They were 1-4 through five games back in 2013 and still managed to finish 8-8. Their moments of instability are more stable than the Browns’ moments of stability.
“I see why people are concerned, but who is good in that division?” the former GM said. “They have been fortunate enough throughout the years even when they have a down year, they go 9-7 or 8-8 and still be in the mix. That is a bad year for them, but it is a good bad year. Most teams are not capable of those. They could be a 9-7 team that is playing at home in the first round of the playoffs and all of a sudden they have it going again, and Ben has the hot hand again.”
Steelers fans who suffered through the Jacksonville debacle might find that tough to believe, and there certainly is a chance that Roethlisberger has begun the type of sharp decline that other older quarterbacks have fought off through intense conditioning, nutrition and overall wellness regiments.
“There is a part of me that thinks if Ben has knocked around this retirement thing, what if his brain this past offseason was wrapped around that retirement word just a little bit more than normal where it crept in just enough to affect a level of commitment, where he started to do a few shortcuts?” one of the insiders asked. “Maybe this is what he is, then. But we don’t know unless we are in his head.”
There’s a line of thinking that says if Roethlisberger were to suffer an injury that sidelined him at an advanced age, he might be prone to put on weight quickly and that he would never be the same. That time is not here, but the Steelers surely need to brace for the end, however it comes. They need to prepare accordingly, even if Roethlisberger pulls out of this current dive and plays a few more seasons.
DETROIT — Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton arrived at Ford Field for Sunday’s game against the Lions with a pin in his hat bearing the image of Rosie the Riveter from the iconic “We Can Do It” poster.
Rosie the Riveter was a symbol of feminism and women’s economic power during the World War II era.
Panthers quarterback Cam Newton arrives at Ford Field after a tumultuous week.
David Newton, ESPN Staff Writer
Newton on Wednesday made light of and laughed at Charlotte Observer beat reporter Jourdan Rodrigue when she asked a question about wide receiver Devin Funchess embracing the physicality of routes and whether Newton got enjoyment out of that.
Newton laughed and responded, “It’s funny to hear a female talk about routes like … it’s funny.”
That started a firestorm around Newton that led to Dannon Oikos Yogurt, one of the many companies the 2015 NFL MVP represents, to announce it no longer would work with Newton and that his commercials would be pulled.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter, citing a source, reported Sunday that Dannon would replace Newton with Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott.
Coach Ron Rivera said Thursday that Newton “made a mistake” with his conduct toward Rodrigue. That evening, Newton released a video on social media apologizing for what he called “extremely degrading and disrespectful” comments. He did not mention Rodrigue by name in the video.
Rivera said Friday that Newton’s apology was “something that needed to be said” and that he hoped everyone could move forward from here.
It started with Robert Griffin III. When the Heisman Trophy winner was at Baylor, the back of his jersey carried more than his last name. With it was an extra signifier.
On the field in college he was known as “Griffin III” and after being drafted by the Washington Redskins in 2012, he became the first NFL player to have a Roman numeral on his back according to UniWatch research. At the time, Griffin III seemed like he might be an outlier. He turned out to be a trend-setter.
NFL players have continued to add generational titles to the nameplates on the backs of their jerseys — an explosion of Sr., Jr., III, IV and V across the league. It seems like almost every team has at least one player with a suffix behind his given name on his jersey.
“I do think more guys are doing it,” said Detroit Lions wide receiver Golden Tate, who has the Roman numeral “III” on his jersey. “I think it looks better.”
Like many other players, Tate began his career, then with the Seahawks, as just Tate. Then, when he was allowed to make the change after Griffin’s jersey move in 2012, Tate eventually added the Roman numerals.
The meaning, though, is deeper than cosmetic. It’s a personal question, depending on the player.
“I don’t know,” Tate said. “Maybe so the world can know that they are not the first Golden Tate, there’s the second, third, fourth, fifth. It’s just another way. Ask someone else that.”
We did. And every nameplate has a story. A reason why the extra letters or numerals are put there.
Then he went to Detroit. And he decided he wanted to start fresh. Included in that was a name change. To honor his father and the relationship they have, he asked the Lions to make his nameplate “Jones Jr.”
“Not even thinking about me, when I think about my dad, I know he’s proud that he can say, ‘Hey, I’m Marvin Jones Sr. Like yeah, that’s my son. I raised him,'” Jones Jr. said. “Instead of being Marvin Jones, Marvin Jones. He’s like, ‘Yeah, I’m Senior. This is my son, Marvin Jones Jr.’
“That’s what he does. He did it one time when I was back home in San Diego. It’s cool.”
It’s also turned into a family tradition. Jones Jr.’s oldest son is also named Marvin Jones, and Marvin Jones III has already started playing football. His team has individual names on the back, and Jones Jr.’s kid already is carrying on the tradition with “Jones III.” And it’s translating beyond football, too.
“Yeah, he already has the signature, too,” Jones Jr. said. “It’s crazy. And it almost mimics mine and I was a good penman when I was his age. But literally, if he were to sign it, he could sign it on a football card.
“I was like, ‘Marvin, you better not get no report cards that I don’t get that you sign because you didn’t pass.’ “
— Michael Rothstein
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Melvin Gordon had the III suffix on his jersey his final two years in Wisconsin, but is still waiting for the NFL to allow him to wear it in the NFL. Dan Sanger/Icon SMI
Gordon said he had the III on his jersey at Wisconsin his final two years there, but did not have the suffix on his jersey in high school.
The Pro Bowler said he did not ask to get the III on his jersey his second season, but he and Melvin Ingram (who’s also a III) both tried to get it on the back of their jersey in time for the 2017 season. The league said they would add it, but it was too late for ’17 because of all the jerseys in inventory that had been produced. So both will have to wait until next year.
“It means a lot,” Gordon said about having the III on his jersey. “It’s mainly for my dad, that’s what you do it for, for your pops. When you see that III on there you know that I came from him. So that’s what it is, and why I’ll go for it — for my pops on game day.”
–- Eric D. Williams
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If Earl Thomas’ grandfather had his way, the Seattle Seahawks’ All-Pro free safety might have been doing something entirely different on Sundays. Earl Sr. was a pastor in Orange, Texas, and didn’t like the idea of his grandson playing football.
“He wanted me in church,” Thomas said. “He didn’t really believe in football like that, but he’s definitely dear to my heart and I definitely miss him.”
Earl Sr. passed away in 2010, during his grandson’s rookie season. Thomas decided in the 2013 season to add “III” to the nameplate on his jersey to honor his grandfather — “the rock of the whole family” — and also his dad, who introduced him to the game.
“He kind of turned me into this guy that just loves football with all his heart,” Thomas said of his father. “So I owe it to them. I definitely want to make that name proud.”
Thomas and his wife have a young daughter named Kaleigh Rose. He thought they’d name their son Earl if they ever had one, but now he isn’t sure.
“I might end it with me,” he said with a smile.
–- Brady Henderson
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Mark Ingram finally added the II to the back of his jersey this season — something the son of former NFL standout wide receiver Mark Ingram said he has always been interested in doing.
“Well, that’s my name, for one,” said Ingram, who has always kept a close relationship with his father and recently announced that he and his wife are expecting their first boy — whom they plan to name Mark Ingram III — in March.
Ingram said it had nothing to do with a growing trend of jersey suffixes around the NFL. It was simply a matter of finally deciding to do it — then waiting for NFL approval.
The league doesn’t immediately approve name or number switches, especially with high-profile players, because of the amount of jerseys that are produced and licensed for sale to the public. A player can speed up the process if he agrees to purchase the remaining inventory.
Ingram went through a similar process earlier in his career when he changed numbers, from 28 to 22.
— Mike Triplett
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Jaguars defensive end Dante Fowler Jr. first added his suffix on his nameplate before his sophomore year at Florida. Shanna Lockwood-USA TODAY Sports
“I’m a little version of him so just wanting to get Junior so people actually know who I am,” said the 6-foot-3, 255-pound Fowler. “It was just respect to my dad. Being able to have the junior on the back of my jersey meant a lot.
“Everybody knew who my dad was and stuff like that when I was growing up so they just called me DJ or Junior. So I just put the junior on the back [of my jersey].”
Fowler wishes he had better memories of his first game with it added to his jersey. The Gators lost 17-6 to LSU that day in 2013.
“I had a big hit on Jeremy Hill but it was a rough game,” he said. “A hard-nose, downhill football game. We didn’t win but it was alright.”
“I do that to represent my kids,” Wilson Sr. said. “Both of my kids, their last names are after me. Tavon Wilson Jr. and I’m Senior. I do it to represent both my boys on the field.”
It’s a change Wilson made before the 2016 season, when he made the move from the Patriots to the Lions. A lot was shifting for Wilson at that point. After primarily playing special teams in New England, he’d have a chance to compete for a starting job — a role he eventually won — in Detroit.
This was a way to signify that, too. New name on the back. New player on the field.
“I kind of wanted a fresh start,” Wilson Sr. said. “And give my career new meaning. And I wanted to play for my boys.”
— Michael Rothstein
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It started with a question from George Johnson’s son. Dad, he asked, “Why didn’t you put Jr.” on your jersey. George Johnson III is 5 years old. He already plays football. And on his back is “Johnson III.” But his dad had just gone by Johnson throughout his NFL career.
But the precocious question from his child started him thinking. Then another person asked him if he didn’t do it because he had a bad relationship with his father. He doesn’t, so it became another reason to go for it.
So this year, for the first time in his career, George Johnson now has “Johnson Jr.” on the back of his jersey.
“It’s a legacy being passed along, to see your name continue to be moving and see your name in greater spotlight,” Johnson Jr. said. “Things like that. That’s the biggest reason why.”
After Johnson’s first game back in Detroit in Week 3, his son came up to him. And in the way only a child can, he pointed out that his father was doing something different.
“He didn’t mention it to me. Well, he kind of did,” Johnson Jr. said. “He said, ‘You’ve got something on after Johnson like I have on mine.'”
Consider that a legacy passed up and down.
— Michael Rothstein
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Tramaine Brock flew solo for the first seven years of his NFL career.
When his son, Tramaine Jr., was born on Sept. 29, 2015, everything in his world changed. Including his game day get-up.
This season, the nameplate on the back of cornerback’s jersey changed from “Brock” to “Brock Sr.” The elder Brock spent the preseason with the Seattle Seahawks, where he debuted his new digs before being traded to the Vikings right before cuts day. He’s the only player on Minnesota’s roster with a suffix on his jersey. It’s a gesture he made in honor of his child, whom he hopes to share his memories of the game with when the littlest Brock grows up.
“It’s just something for the future for me and my son,” Brock said. “He can look up to me when he gets older, seeing my jersey with ‘Sr.’ on it, knowing his father was doing what he maybe wants to do when he gets older.”
