10 Bears questions: On Mitch’s jersey, John Fox’s beard & coin flips
Is Mitch Trubisky ready for his first start?
He’s prepared, which is halfway there.
“I liken it to taking a test in college … ” Bears coach John Fox said. “If you don’t do the preparation, you’ve got to borrow a pencil. You might have had to cram.”
While we wonder if Fox — who joked Friday that “I try not to be me” when addressing the media — borrowed penciled at San Diego State, here are 10 Bears questions:
Fans hold a sign referencing MItch Trubisky in Green Bay. (Getty Images)
1. He’s really prepared?
Tight end Zach Miller was impressed how quickly Trubisky learned the Bears’ offense.
“Now he’s able to just spit out what we’re doing seamlessly — bop-bop-bop-bop, play is done,” Miller said. “His command at the huddle and up at the line has been great, from Day 1 until now. …
“Him in the huddle, you can just tell he has it all. He gets it. He understands our offense. He knows what we’re doing. It’s a second language where he can just spit it out.”
2. But can he sound like Mike Glennon?
“The first thing you’re going to notice and hear is the cadence,” guard Kyle Long said.
Every quarterback try to sound like his team’s starter, for the sake of continuity, so Trubisky will sound like Glennon.
3. How popular is Trubisky?
According to the Dick’s Sporting Goods jersey tracker, Trubisky’s navy No. 10 is the ninth-most popular jersey — behind Tom Brady, Dak Prescott, Von Miller, Carson Wentz, Ezekiel Elliott, Rob Gronkowski, Mike Evans and Odell Beckham, Jr. — in the NFL this week. He ranks No. 18 in jerseys sold over the past 30 days, and No. 20 this season.
4. Is he better than the old QBs?
It’s a low bar. The bottom of Football Outsiders’ DVOA rankings — which measures value, per play, over a league-average quarterback — looks like a Bears class reunion.
Ex-Bear Josh McCown, the Jets’ starter, is ranked No. 27, with Dolphins quarterback Jay Cutler ranked No. 28. Glennon is No. 29, with another former Bears, Brian Hoyer, coming in No. 30.
5. He’s a Survivor?
Cornerback Alan Ball played 15 games for the Bears in 2015, his final season in the NFL. The Illinois alum joined the island reality show, “Survivor,” whose latest season began last week.
Bears safety Adrian Amos learned about his former teammate’s reality-show turn on Instagram.
“I mean, I don’t know what you’re going to get from him,” Amos said. “He’d come in and have one of those moods where he’s just mean, but he’s funny, too.”
6. Monday night magic?
The Bears have won 14 of their last 19 “Monday Night Football” games, starting with the infamous Dennis Green “Crown’em!” game at the Cardinals in 2006 and ending with last year’s home win against the Vikings.
Before that stretch, the Bears had, amazingly, won only a third of their first 48 “MNF” games.
7. Wanna bet?
The Vikings are 1-8 straight-up and 2-7 against the spread in their last nine games at Soldier Field.
8. Is that a beard?
Fox hadn’t shaved all in a few days, but he said he’s not trying anything new.
“I kinda lost my razor,” he said with a smile. “Truth be told, my wife wasn’t in town all week, so I didn’t have anybody getting on me about it.”
9. Whither Willie?
Outside linebacker Willie Young went from limited in practice Thursday to missing Friday’s altogether because of a triceps injury.
“We’re not sure where he’s at right now,” defensive coordinator Vic Fangio said. “We still have guys.”
Nick Kwiatkoski (pec) was also held out Friday, while defensive end Akiem Hicks (foot) and center Hroniss Grasu (hand) were limited.
The Bears figure to lean more on Pernell McPhee, Sam Acho and others if Young can’t play; they also signed outside linebacker Howard Jones to the practice squad on Friday.
10. Heads or tails?
Amazingly, the Bears have won 14-straight coin tosses.
The last four were because of calls made by Glennon. While the quarterback will remain a captain, it’s unclear if he’ll call the toss again Monday.
Hicks called the factoid “pretty cool,” but only that.
“I wish that could reflect on our record,” he said.
Follow me on Twitter @patrickfinley
Email: pfinley@suntimes.com