Trubisky prefers to keep the secret to his third-down success under wraps
Mitch Trubisky is No. 5 in the NFL in third-down passer rating at 97.3, and he remains the only qualifying quarterback who hasn't thrown an interception on third down.
When he was asked about his perfect record, Trubisky feigned indignation.
“Why would you jinx me?” he said. “Come on, dude. That's not cool. Don't talk about it.”
The he jokingly appealed to the media contingent to take action against the offending reporter: “Put him on a timeout,” Trubisky said.
Eventually, the rookie quarterback addressed his third-down interception avoidance.
“The best way to not do it is to not talk about it,” he said.
But seriously, Mitch?
“Just working hard on third down,” Trubisky said. “Trusting my guys and being aggressive within the timing of the play and trusting my reads and continuing to use my accuracy and use good footwork is what's going to allow us to stay good on third downs.
“Taking care of the football is always a No. 1 priority, so we're going to just continue to focus on that.”
Trubisky then had a parting shot for the third-down interrogator, as he laughed: “You better hope … oh my God.”
Young and offensive:
The improvement of rookie quarterback Mitch Trubisky and of the offense go hand in hand, according to coach John Fox, who said the season-best 482-yard effort vs. the Bengals was a team effort.
“Our offense executed the best it's executed, including Mitch,” Fox said. “I'm not taking anything away from Mitch because it starts there. But overall, it was our most complete game, and he's a big part of that. So were a lot of young guys and new faces around him.”
Second-round tight end Adam Shaheen had his best game with 4 catches for 44 yards and a TD. Fourth-round running back Tarik Cohen rushed for a career-high 80 yards on 12 carries, and another fourth-round rookie, safety Eddie Jackson, forced and recovered a fumble and picked off his second pass of the year.
Not quitting:
The Bears and the Bengals will both be watching the playoffs from home, and the Bengals played like it last Sunday, while the Bears turned in their most complete performance of the season.
“I know these guys pretty well,” coach John Fox said of his team. “I know how they compete. I know how hard they're trying. It's always satisfying in my role to see them reap those benefits. I don't think that'll change regardless of what the record is, or regardless of what the score is in the game. I think it's just something you try to instill. Hopefully it takes effect.”
Injury update:
For the second straight day, the Bears had everyone on the practice Field inside the Walter Payton Center.
Six players were limited, however, including safeties Adrian Amos (hamstring) and DeAndre Houston-Carson (ankle), nose tackle Eddie Goldman (hip), linebacker Pernell McPhee (shoulder), tight end Adam Shaheen (chest) and wide receiver Kendall Wright (shoulder).
The Lions list four of their starting offensive linemen on the injury list.
Center Travis Swanson (concussion), right guard T.J. Lang (foot) and right tackle Rick Wagner (ankle) have not practiced this week, while left tackle Taylor Decker (shoulder) has been limited. The only healthy starter on the O-line is left guard Graham Glasgow, who played his high school football at Marmion Academy in Aurora. Defensive end Ziggy Ansah (ankle) has also been limited.