Variety has been spice of Bears' pass game — and they might have another weapon returning
Name the Bears’ leading pass-catcher. No Googling or asking Siri.
It’s not Rome Odunze, the former first-round pick who had five touchdowns in the Bears’ first four games. Or DJ Moore, who is in the middle of a four-year, $110 million deal. Nor is it rookie Luther Burden, whose 138 receiving yards against the 49ers were the most any Bear had all season. It’s not another former second-round pick, tight end Cole Kmet, or running back D’Andre Swift.
It's rookie tight end Colston Loveland, who finished the regular season with a team-high 58 catches and 713 yards. It took a late push: 28% of his catches and 26% of his yards came in the last two games of the season.
He’s the leading receiver on a team that, by design, isn’t supposed to have one. Ben Johnson’s plan to start the season was to give quarterback Caleb Williams as many options as possible. He’s spread the ball around in his two previous matchups against Saturday's playoff rival, the Packers. In their first meeting, the Bears completed passes to nine pass-catchers. They threw to seven in their second.
“Hopefully we'll be able to use that to our advantage [Saturday],” Johnson said Tuesday. “Because we've got a lot of weapons.”
They could get their best one back. Odunze, who hasn’t played since Nov. 28 because of a chronic foot issue, was limited in Tuesday's estimated injury report, So was Moore, who has a knee injury. Rookie wideout Jahdae Walker was out sick from the Bears' walk-through.
Odunze first thought he’d return Dec. 14 against the Browns but felt pain during warmups and was scratched. Williams texted him after the game and said he was looking forward to getting him back for the playoffs.
“I texted him after the game and said, ‘I got you,’” Williams said. “And, ‘We’ll get to the playoffs and we’ll handle business when you come back, but I need you back healthy and ready to go.’”
That would be one more weapon on a team full of them. The Bears are one of four NFL teams with seven players who have caught at least 30 passes. They’re the only team with seven receivers who have 299 receiving yards or more. Johnson credited general manager Ryan Poles for acquiring them — he’s either drafted, signed or traded for all but Kmet.
“We've got a number of players on the perimeter, in the backfield, that can hurt teams …” Johnson said. “You probably look at us and you don't say, 'Hey, we just want to take away this one particular player.' You've gotta defend the entire field. That's the way we really wanted it.”
The Bears have had six players lead them in receiving yards in a game. Four of the last five weeks, though, it’s been a rookie.
"Ben — and our coaching staff — does such a good job of putting guys in the right spots,” Kmet said. “I think we're all in it. We're all put in situations where we can really succeed … When those moments come up, guys are able to excel.”
Williams credited brutal training camp days — but also communication toward the end of the season.
“The details have been, over the past couple weeks, have been better—of landmarks and assignments and spacing and routes and things like that,” Williams said. “When all that comes together, it turns out to be pretty good. And we can be a lot better — and will be a lot better.”
Planning the playbook this week gives Johnson a lot of options. That’s a good problem for the head coach — and play-caller — to have.
“All these guys know that they'll have plays in [the playbook] this week to make an impact on this game.” He said. “Caleb's job is to help distribute that football so they all get an opportunity to do that.”