Bear Digest

Ben Johnson sees need to start getting more from one promising weapon

The Bears have had a problem with passing-game consistency because of surplus of directions Caleb Williams can go with the ball, but one player in particular needs it now.
Gene Chamberlain|
Ben Johnson acknowledges the need to get one player more touches after Sunday's performance.
Ben Johnson acknowledges the need to get one player more touches after Sunday's performance. | David Banks-Imagn Images

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Chicago Bears

Bears coach Ben Johnson confirmed something Monday apparent to anyone watching for weeks now regarding personnel usage.

Wide receiver Luther Burden III needs to have Caleb Williams to get him the ball. Good things seem to happen when he does.

"I think you've slowly seen his rep count go up," Johnson said. "He's a guy that's starting to get more targets. It's a trust level between the coaches and a  player. It's a trust level between the quarterback and a receiver.

"It continues to ascend and so he's been very productive when we've been able to get the ball in his hands. And there's a strong argument that we should get it to him more."

Bears fans everyone likely are applauding his comment after this, based on the social media messages over the last three weeks.

It seemed he was asending a few weeks ago but the concussion suffered against Baltimore meant missing the Cincinnati game. In the four games prior he had 10 catches for 174 yards.

In Sunday's three-catch, 51-yard effort, Burden made a 27-yard catch-and-run play when he bulled his way for about the last 10 yards with two defenders on him. He now has a 136.4 passer rating when targeted, which is pretty ridiculous.

Burden has 222 yards on 16 catches with a TD and, especially after the rough day by Olamide Zaccheaus on Sunday with dropped passes, it would be an easy time to turn to more reps for their 2025 second-round pick.

The thing with Burden is they rarely throw it his way and get no production. He has made 16 catches on 18 targets. That's an 88.9% catch rate, even higher than when Cole Kmet was at 85.5% in 2024 and led all tight ends in the league.

After the game, Johnson didn't see it as any more necessary to get the ball Burden over other receivers.

"We always have a concerted effort to get Rome the ball, to get DJ (Moore)  the ball, to get Luther the ball, to get OZ (Olamide Zaccheaus) ... it's all these guys," he said. "They all have plays. Yeah, each and every week Colston (Loveland), Cole (Kmet), all these guys, they deserve a chance to have the ball in their hands."

At least it would appear Burden has caught his attention. He definitely has Caleb Williams' attention.

"As Lu has said, when he gets the ball in his hands and he's one-on-one, he's  pretty dangerous," Williams said. "I had full belief."

The 27-yard gain led to the game-winning points a short time later when Williams scrambled in from 17 yards out. The completion was something they'd been working at for a while.

"It's something that we've been throwing for, I think we've had it up for about three weeks now," Williams said. "So just felt confident in that moment and I felt confident in him.

"He ran a great route, made a great catch and got a few yards after.”

Loveland has had different injury issues, the learning aspect of the pro game over college to contend with but now seems primed for the playoff push.

"It definitely felt good to help make a big play in a crucial moment," he said after the game. "So it was man-to-man (coverage). I had a deep stop-it route, so, a longer curl, man-to-man, pretty easy."

The transition to the NFL seems over.

"I haven't been in a great situation always," he said of his past. "Whatever situation I'm in I feel like I can go out there and make something happen.

"I feel like that's the biggest step coming from college because in college, I mean, I was featured in the offense and I'm just trying to find my way to help contribute to the team and help us."

As Loveland said, "You got to start somewhere."

It seems he's past that starting point now.

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.