Bears QB Trubisky shows progress against Bengals

Dec 11, 2017 - 3:07 AM CINCINNATI -- One way for Chicago Bears rookie quarterback Mitchell Trubisky to measure the improvements he has made in recent weeks is the level of trust his teammates give him in the huddle during games and in practice.

"I get feedback from my teammates," Trubisky said. "I can tell they're confident in me. I know how to prepare. I feel like my play is getting better each week. I just needed to go out and execute."

As the losses mounted during a five-game losing streak, there were plenty of doubts. The Bears' offense had produced fewer than 300 yards combined over the past two games. On Sunday afternoon at Paul Brown Stadium, however, Trubisky took advantage of a banged-up Cincinnati Bengals defense and produced his best game since taking over the starting role in Week 5.

Trubisky, who was selected second overall in this year's draft, passed for 271 yards and a touchdown in a 33-7 win over Cincinnati. He also ran for another score. He was 25 of 32 and did not throw an interception.

"He's always been a young leader in the huddle," running back Tarik Cohen said. "He's very demanding and focused and he kept at it today."

The caveat, of course, is that Trubisky's career game came against a Bengals defense that was missing its top two tacklers and four starters total due to injury, but it was an encouraging performance nonetheless for Trubisky who could use a confidence boost.

"He's put a lot of hard work into it," Bears head coach John Fox said. "The coaches have done a good job of preparing him. There's always going to be those young moments. But he keeps getting better."

Trubisky spread the field, completing passes to eight different receivers, including wide receiver Kendall Wright, who had 10 catches for 107 yards on 11 targets. The rookie quarterback seemed comfortable in the pocket and showed patience with his reads.

"I had a lot of time back there in the pocket, and that allowed receivers to operate in their routes and get open," Trubisky said.

It was Trubisky's best performance since Nov. 12 when he passed for 297 yards with a touchdown in a 23-16 loss to Green Bay. Since taking over as the Bears' starter, he has passed for 1,508 yards with six touchdowns and four interceptions.

Trubisky's 112.4 passer rating was second only to last week's 117.2 in a loss to the San Francisco 49ers in which he passed for only 102 yards.

"I thought Mitch played really well last week," Fox said. "But, when you don't experience the end result, it's hard to put much into that. I've seen him grow every week."