Chicago Bears' Meredith can learn from mistakes

In his first NFL start Sunday at Indianapolis, Chicago Bears wide receiver Cam Meredith caught 9 passes for 130 yards but lost a fourth-quarter fumble after a short reception.

"I'd say out of the (66)-play game that Cam had, 64 of them were pretty darn good," coach John Fox said. "Sometimes you tend to focus on the negative, but you're not going to play too many perfect games. Not just him, anybody.

"All in all, it was a pretty good outing minus a couple plays that hopefully he'll learn from. You're going to make mistakes; you just try to not make the same mistakes."

Meredith's yardage total Sunday exceeded last year's by 20 yards, and his 15 receptions this year are 4 more than in 2015, when he was an undrafted rookie out of Illinois State, where he played quarterback his first two years.

"From Day One, you see the raw talent," quarterback Brian Hoyer said. "He's a guy who hasn't played receiver a whole bunch but is big, is fast and can make some moves for being a big guy. He's got some quickness to him and really solid hands.

"He goes up and snatches the ball out of the air. There's a lot to be excited about. He's got to start stacking those games together and being consistent."

Consider the source:

Not surprisingly New England Patriots tight end Martellus Bennett had some uncomplimentary words for his former Bears teammates in an earlier interview with ESPN, a clip of which aired Wednesday.

"We just had a bunch of (bleeps) on the roster, that's why we didn't win games," Bennett said, "and coaches liked the (bleeps)."

Coach John Fox, who inherited Bennett from the previous regime, downplayed Bennett's comments.

"I didn't pay them any mind," Fox said. "I think most of our guys are way beyond that. They're professionals, they've been around for a while. Typically in a football season, there's a lot of outside, but I don't think it'll faze our group."

Sign of progress:

Quarterback Jay Cutler (right thumb) was not in uniform Wednesday and did not practice, but he threw several passes during the 20-minute portion of practice that is open to the media.

"Time heals, and he is improving," coach John Fix said. "But he's not been cleared at this point."

In addition to Cutler, running back Jeremy Langford (ankle), wide receiver Eddie Royal (calf), tight end Zach Miller (ribs), guard Josh Sitton (shoulder), nose tackle Eddie Goldman (ankle) and cornerbacks Tracy Porter (knee), Bryce Callahan (hamstring) and Deiondre' Hall (ankle) did not practice.

Running back Ka'Deem Carey, wide receiver Alshon Jeffery (hamstring), linebackers Jerrell Freeman (wrist), Willie Young (calf), Sam Acho (ribs) and Leonard Floyd (knee/elbow) and defensive lineman Will Sutton (pectoral) were limited.

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