Bears' Cutler still not 100 percent recovered from hamstring injury: 'I'll just make do'

Jay Cutler's hamstring still isn't back at full strength now one week after he made his return to game action, but the Chicago Bears quarterback appears determined to play through the issue.

"I feel better. I do," Cutler said Thursday, according to Jeff Dickerson of ESPN. "I'm still not exactly where I want to be, but it is what it is, and we have a lot of guys banged up out here. I'll just make do."

Cutler led Chicago to its first win of the season with a strong effort against the Oakland Raiders in Week 4, completing 28-of-43 passes for 281 yards, two touchdowns and one interception despite the absence of star receiver Alshon Jeffery for a third consecutive game.

Offensive coordinator Adam Gase, who joined the Bears along with head coach John Fox this offseason, lauded the veteran signal caller for the toughness and resolve he demonstrated throughout.

"First thing I learned was how tough he was," Gase said. "For him to go out there and perform the way he did, I don't know if I've been around a performance like that, as efficient as he was, to fight through what he had going on. But him sticking around in the pocket, obviously, he did a good job of protecting himself, and he did a good job with all his reads."

While Cutler's mobility will likely be limited for several weeks to come, if not for the majority of the 2015 season still ahead, escaping the pocket was never a part of his skill set to begin with.

His presence under center, for all his well-documented faults, certainly gives the Bears their best chance to win. As the offense around him starts to get healthy, Cutler's play should only continue to improve.

The Bears will have an opportunity to string together consecutive wins for the first time since last November when they take on the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday afternoon.