Will success spoil Mitch Trubisky? Bears QB excited to get back to work

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Bears quarterback Mitch Trubisky runs off the field after his six-touchdown game against the Buccaneers on Sept. 30. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

After throwing six touchdown passes against the Buccaneers, the bye week was about the last thing Mitch Trubisky needed. And he knows it.

“It’s kind of hard being away for a week, especially after the great week I had,” said Trubisky, who had career highs in yards (354), yards per attempt (13.6) and passer rating (154.6) in a 48-10 victory against the Bucs on Sept. 30 at Soldier Field. “You’re anxious to get back, to get back to work, get in the film room and see what we’ve got going in the game plan for this week.”

Regardless, Trubisky made the most of the early week off, even if it wasn’t the optimum time for an NFL team with a three-game winning streak to take a break.

“It was also a great opportunity to rest up and decompress a little bit and take care of the body,” Trubisky said. “I feel like I balanced a little bit of both — got to hang out with my family, which is very important to me, watch my little brothers play, spend time with my parents and sister. It was good, but I’m also excited and eager to get back to work this week. I did a little work on the break, as well. You’ve got to find that balance. We’re back to work now and focused on the Dolphins.”

The focus, as always, will be on Trubisky when the Bears (3-1) face the Dolphins (3-2) at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida. But the scrutiny comes with a little bit more intrigue this week: Was Trubisky’s six-touchdown performance against Tampa Bay’s 31st-ranked defense just a fit of brilliance for a second-year quarterback still finding his way? Or was it a breakthrough that indicated Trubisky has a grasp of coach Matt Nagy’s offense that will propel him to another level?

Almost every quarterback in Trubisky’s developmental phase clings to the maxim that they don’t want to get too high after the big moments or too low after the bad ones. Finally, the “don’t get too high” part of that cliché will be put to the test. Trubisky spent most of the week at home, where he surely received a hero’s share of pats on the back. This is a chance to prove he kept the big game in perspective.

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“It definitely gave me confidence,” Trubisky said. “But just looking back on it, it was just like any other win for the Bears. It’s important. We got better last week. I felt like I got better last week in my growth and development, and this is a new week to continue to take another step.

“We’re focused on the Dolphins this week. Two weeks ago was a lot of fun. We enjoyed it. But we’re focused on getting prepared for the Dolphins and working hard in practice and being as prepared as possible to get another [win].”

Trubisky might not be the inventive, intuitive quarterback that Kansas City’s Patrick Mahomes has been this season. But this is a chance to see that his steady, workmanlike, study-hard, even-keeled approach will pay dividends, as well. Even Nagy is curious to see how Trubisky will respond to success.

“I’m excited to see how he’ll be today,” Nagy said before practice. “Just from the walk-through [Wednesday], you can tell — not just from him but collectively — there’s a little bounce to the guys, and I think that goes back to being able to have that confidence.

“When you have a good game, it naturally gives you confidence. You have to make sure . . . you don’t get complacent with that and think it’s going to happen every week, because it’s not.”

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