It may seem hard to win without getting good play from the quarterback. But Chicago Bears’ coach John Fox has it down to a science.
The Bears defeated the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, despite quarterback Mitchell Trubisky completing only four passes. It was certainly an odd occurrence, but not unprecedented. Especially for Fox.
Trubisky was the third quarterback in the last 30 years to win despite completing five or fewer passes. The other two were Chris Weinke and Tim Tebow, who have something in common with Trubisky.
Only 3 QBs in last 30 years have won games completing 4 or fewer passes: Weinke (4), Tebow (2), Trubisky (4).
John Fox was HC all 3 times.
— Gil Brandt (@Gil_Brandt) October 24, 2017
In a way, this is rather impressive. Quarterback play is such a dominant part of the modern NFL. Winning with the quarterback having such a minimized role is not easy.
On the other hand, we have to wonder why better quarterbacks can’t develop under Fox. While it’s possible to win with such a minimal passing effort, it’s only happened three times in three decades. Getting a defensive score (let alone two in the same game) is not easy.
So, it’s possible, but not a winning formula.