The Baltimore Ravens and quarterback Joe Flacco meet the Chicago Bears in the Hall of Fame Game onThursday. (AP Photo | Gail Burton)
The Chicago Bears, led by quarterback Mitchell Trubisky, meet the Baltimore Ravens, led by quarterback Joe Flacco, in the 2018 NFL Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio, on Thursday, August 2, 2018 (8/2/18).
The preseason game marks the start of the NFL season and kicks off a weekend of Hall of Fame events and inductions.
Here's what you need to know:
Who: Bears vs. Ravens
What: 2018 NFL Hall of Fame Game
When: Thursday, Aug. 2, 2018
Where: Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium, Canton, Ohio
Time: 8 p.m. Eastern
TV: NBC
Available Streaming: Click here to watch online live stream in hd
Line: Ravens -2.5
Not even the interceptions seem to frustrate quarterback Mitchell Trubisky right now. Rather than worry about those picks, he's busy picking up the nuances of the offense under new coach Matt Nagy.
Trubisky is throwing deeper in training camp more consistently, and any interceptions are all a part of the process as he gets used to a variety of new targets.
"I mean, what's not to like about this offense?" Trubisky said. "I love it. There's a lot of options. We throw the ball around a lot and we're going to balance it with a great running game."
Trubisky's passes haven't always found the target, as Thursday night's preseason opener with Baltimore in the Hall of Fame Game approaches. For instance, he threw two interceptions in three plays earlier in the week to cornerback Prince Amukamara. Deiondre' Hall intercepted another pass Friday.
Trubisky, however, feels throwing it deep now to build timing will only make big plays easier later. And he credits Nagy's practice approach for instilling confidence.
"Lets me go out and play and be myself and not worry about mistakes," Trubisky said. "But we do go in the film room and correct them.
"There is a big emphasis on not making the same mistake twice. Just go out there and play freely and let your instincts take over. And then when we make mistakes, just go back and learn from it. It allows me to go out there and be myself and play freely," he said.
Trubisky doesn't want to convey the impression he's laughing off practice interceptions.
"I'm always mad when I throw an interception, but at the same time I don't care what anybody thinks," Trubisky said. "I know what I've got to do. I made a lot of great throws. I made some bad throws and we're testing and we're getting better every day.
"Those (practice) mistakes are going to come -- as long as we learn from them. It's not a game, so it doesn't really matter what everybody thinks and what everybody sees," he said.
When Trubisky broke into the lineup in Week 5 last year under former coach John Fox, the emphasis was on playing it safe and operating a basic offense. His final yards-per-pass attempt average of 6.6 ranked 45th among all NFL passers.
Live stream: Click here to watch live stream in hd
It's changing for Trubisky, the second pick in the 2017 draft, as he learns aspects of a more complex passing attack on daily basis."We're throwing so much at these guys, where it almost feels like they're in a tornado right now," Nagy said. "There's so many things being thrown at him."
Nagy liked the way Trubisky handled making several checks at the line of scrimmage in Friday's practice.
"He's adjusting to any negative-type plays, so if there's an interception, there's a screw-up in the play call, in the huddle he calls the wrong play, he regroups," Nagy said.
Trubisky has just 25 starts as a quarterback since he played high school ball, so the inexperience factor must be overcome.
Bears receivers say they're seeing a passer more composed under pressure than could be expected from someone with little experience.
"He's not frantic and things like that even when you get zero blitz and he's throwing to the hot read," wide receiver Taylor Gabriel said. "I'm impressed and I'm excited."
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