Mitch Trubisky and Mike White are having as much fun this season as two football players can without getting on the field.
NFL players are uber-competitive. They鈥檙e wired to play. Trubisky and White obviously know their role. They know they鈥檙e not getting on the field unless it鈥檚 the end of a blowout or 鈥 heaven forbid 鈥 disaster strikes.
Trubisky has taken 44 snaps in mop-up duty this season. White, the Bills鈥 No. 3 QB, has been activated off the practice squad for two games. Yet their jobs give them the best front-row seat in the house 鈥 every day in meetings and practices and every game on the sidelines 鈥 to the Josh Allen Experience 2024, which might be an NFL MVP season.
鈥淚t鈥檚 been a lot of fun,鈥 said Trubisky, who has a unique perspective because he served as Allen鈥檚 backup in the 2021 season. 鈥淚t鈥檚 been a blessing coming back here, just to be teammates with him and all these guys. It鈥檚 a great culture and a great place to come to work every day.鈥
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鈥淗e does a really good job of keeping everyone light in the building and on the offense, while obviously still being on his Ps and Qs and being dialed in when he needs to,鈥 White said. 鈥淏ut everyone here has fun, and it starts with him. It鈥檚 just the attitude and the charisma he brings every day.鈥
Bills quarterbacks Josh Allen and Mitchell Trubisky sit on the bench before the start of the game against the Jets at MetLife Stadium on Oct. 14.
Allen was in his fourth NFL season when Trubisky was the Bills鈥 No. 2 in 2021. What differences does he see in No. 17?
鈥淚 would just say he鈥檚 progressed in every category you possibly can since then,鈥 Trubisky said. 鈥淗e鈥檚 got a great understanding of the game and what he needs to do to win. He鈥檚 playing very well right now. It鈥檚 his preparation week to week, his mindset going into the game, his trust of the offense and Joe Brady, the communication they have throughout the week on the game plan. I think he has full trust in what we鈥檙e doing. Then he鈥檚 going out there and making crazy plays, using his ability, but at the same time not forcing it, he鈥檚 letting the game come to him.鈥
The Bills were an excellent offense in 2021, third in points and fifth in yards. But Trubisky acknowledges Allen has a better infrastructure around him in 2024.
鈥淗e鈥檚 playing very free because our O-line is so good and we鈥檙e able to establish the run,鈥 Trubisky said. 鈥淏ut if we want to, we also can put it on his back. But we don鈥檛 have to play a full drop-back game, and I don鈥檛 think we want to. We want to have the offense completely wide open. The defense doesn鈥檛 know what鈥檚 coming. We can run the ball, play action, use our backs, use our receivers.鈥
White sees freedom, too, from having a multitude of skill-position weapons.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not like I鈥檝e got to get this guy involved or this play only goes to him,鈥 White said. 鈥淲hoever鈥檚 in there is in there and whatever my read is, that鈥檚 my read and I鈥檓 going to trust the guys to make plays. The other guys I think can feel that. So they go out there and they want to make that play for Josh. It鈥檚 how you see guys like Ty Johnson go over 100 yards receiving. You never know who it鈥檚 going to be. That鈥檚 fun, too. It keeps everyone engaged, and it鈥檚 more of a team game that way.鈥
What can White and Trubisky learn from studying with a freak of nature, an 鈥渁lien,鈥 as Rams coach Sean McVay calls Allen?
鈥淚 would say his attention to detail as a passer, as a thrower,鈥 White said. 鈥淗e鈥檚 constantly dialed into his motion, his mechanics. Having known Josh since college, you can tell how drastically his motion has changed, and how it has improved and how it keeps getting better and better. That鈥檚 the thing I鈥檝e taken from him, his attention to detail on the mechanics of throwing the ball.鈥
鈥淚 think the communication between him, Connor McGovern and the five guys up front has been fantastic,鈥 Trubisky said. 鈥淎ustin (Gund), our OL coach, and Aaron Kromer do a great job with the protection plan every week, teaching it to us and having our rules every week. We know what鈥檚 coming and are able to communicate and get all the guys on the same page. ... His ability to ID (the pass rushers), the preparation throughout the week, to know what鈥檚 coming, have answers, it allows you to go out and use your full abilities.鈥
Of course, there are some things Allen does that mere mortal QBs like Trubisky and White can鈥檛 replicate on the field.
Like the 64-yard frozen rope pass on the run Allen made to Keon Coleman against Detroit two weeks ago.
鈥淚鈥檓 not looking downfield, I鈥檓 looking at him as the play happens,鈥 Trubisky said. 鈥淪o I鈥檓 like, 鈥楾hrow it away, throw it away, run out of bounds, live to play another down.鈥 And he鈥檚 making incredible throws downfield. He knows what he can do. It鈥檚 incredible to see him make those plays. I thought the one that didn鈥檛 count in Detroit was really fun, too. They brought a zero blitz, he broke through the line. We blocked everyone except one guy who was unblocked. He tossed it right over his head. He鈥檚 just out there having fun.鈥
鈥淪ometimes he gets in trouble, and we tell him, 鈥楧ude, stop taking these hits,鈥欌 White said. 鈥淏ut it鈥檚 one of his superpowers. It鈥檚 that scramble to the right and buying time around the sideline and just holding on that tick longer than he needs and he makes plays down the field.鈥
Bills quarterback Josh Allen scores a rushing touchdown against the Lions on Dec. 15.
Trubisky liked the 28-yard pass by Allen early in the Detroit game on a dead run to his left, throwing against his body and leading James Cook perfectly up the field in the opposite direction.
鈥淓very other quarterback, you tell them you do not even attempt to make that throw,鈥 Trubisky said. 鈥淗e鈥檚 doing this on the regular. It鈥檚 crazy.鈥
And then there was the rumbling, 26-yard TD run to seal the Kansas City win.
鈥淲hen he pulled it down, he knew he had the first down,鈥 Trubisky said. 鈥淏ut he鈥檚 explosive, he鈥檚 strong, he鈥檚 big, he鈥檚 hard to bring down. And I think one of his best traits is his competitiveness and his desire to win. Everyone in this building feeds off that.鈥
