With Mitch Trubisky 'in a good place,' Bears pour it on in offensive outburst

CHICAGO – Against a quarterback his team could’ve drafted in Deshaun Watson, Bears quarterback Mitch Trubisky played one of his best games of the 2020 season.

For the second consecutive week, Trubisky kept it simple. He completed the short passes and moved the chains. According to NFL Next Gen Stats, Trubisky attempted only one pass of 20 air yards or more. Most importantly, he took care of the football and helped the Bears to a 36-7 victory over Houston.

The Bears scored more points than they had since they beat the Buffalo Bills, 41-9, on Nov. 4, 2018. In doing so, they snapped a six-game losing streak and likely bought embattled head coach Matt Nagy some time.

“[Trubisky is] in a good place right now,” Nagy said. “He’s executing what we’re asking him to do. I appreciate that about him. He’s practicing really, really well. He’s leading, all that stuff right now.”

Earlier this week, Trubisky said he wasn’t paying any attention to all the talk of him and Watson facing each other for the first time as pros. Nagy echoed that Sunday. He said Trubisky was “locked in” and focused on improving the Bears offense, not the storylines.

“We just need to continue to run the ball well, and off that just have a bunch of bootlegs and nakeds [boot passes] and keep taking what the defense gives us,” Trubisky said. “You see the positive plays on first and second down. If we can just stay out of those third-and-long situations, which we have, we just keep moving the ball down the field.”

The Bears faced only 10 third downs Sunday, converting three of them. As a team, they totaled 410 net yards of offense. Trubisky ended his day 24-for-33 passing for 267 yards and three touchdowns. He also ran for 23 yards on four carries.

It’s worth wondering how much of an influence offensive coordinator Bill Lazor has had since he took over as play caller. Outside of the Nov. 29 game against Green Bay – when the Bears fell behind early and had to take some shots down field – the offense has kept it simple.

Nagy felt Sunday was the most complete game the Bears have played this year in all three phases – offense, defense and special teams. Even so, Nagy said it was “just a start.”

At 6-7, the Bears hold onto slim playoff hopes, but likely would need to win out. It’s an uphill battle. Nagy liked the energy he felt on the sideline and in the locker room prior to Sunday's game.

“You never know what it means, but I felt the energy, I felt guys playing loose,” Nagy said. “I saw them having that focus. Sometimes you just feel that and that’s a credit to them. I don’t know if they had a bunch of coffee or what they had pregame, but it worked.”