Bear Digest

Now it's Bears offense prepping to test its improvisational skills

Neither Rome Odunze nor Luther Burden III could practice Wednesday and if the Bears are missing two top downfield threats it will mean Ben Johnson improvises.
Gene Chamberlain|
Jahdae Walker makes a reception and turns upfield against Miami in preseason.
Jahdae Walker makes a reception and turns upfield against Miami in preseason. | David Banks-Imagn Images

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Chicago Bears

One distinguishable trait of this Bears team on defense all year has been an ability to get subs ready to start in the midst of numerous injuries on that side of the football.

Cornerbacks C.J. Gardner-Johnson and Nahshon Wright and this week's NFC defensive player of the week linebacker D'Marco Jackson rate as prime examples.

"It's like trying to create a meal, like, what are the ingredients that we have and then we'll figure out what the meal's gonna be," defensive coordinator Dennis Allen said. "And I think that's kind of what we've had to do there, and you try to find out what are the skill set of the players that you have available to you.

"Try to put them in positions to be able to do the things that they do well, try to minimize the times that you ask them to do things that maybe they're not as good at. And each week that might change based on who you have available to you."

Now it appears the offense must do the cooking going into the season's biggest game, Saturday night against Green Bay. Neither wide receiver Rome Odunze (foot) nor Luther Burden III (ankle) practiced for the second straight day on Wednesday. 

It’s possible the Bears, at wide receiver, will be relying on DJ Moore, Olamide Zaccheaus and then take a guess on the others.

Devin Duvernay has two receptions on four targets and no one else has been targeted this season. Jahdae Walker might figure into the offensive plan. He displayed a strong set of skills in preseason, including 4.43-second speed in the 40 and good athleticism, not to mention the best post-TD celebration all year.

They could even use two backs and split D'Andre Swift out at receiver—it's something the Lions sometimes do with Jahmyr Gibbs. 

The other option is playing tight end Colston Loveland at wide receiver.

Entering a showdown game without two key receivers will earn the Bears no sympathy from the Packers, of course. They've suffered the biggest loss of all with pass rusher Micah Parsons out for the season, besides an assortment of other injuries being watched closely.

It's on the Bears offense to devise a plan to cope for now, and offensive coordinator Declan Doyle sees it much like Allen.

"Any time you’re late in the season, you’re always kind of in flux as far as who’s going to play in the game, and all those things as you evaluate things throughout the week," Doyle said. "That’s always a challenge, to try to put our guys in position to go have success, whoever those players may be."

Doyle saw injury situations prove destructive at past stops.

"It kind of goes back to when I worked in New Orleans with coach (Sean) Payton, we were very personnel specific," Doyle said. "So, every single play it was a specific group of five individual players on each play, and when we would have an injury it would just create chaos.

"We’re a little bit more in flow on that, but at the same point in time it is a good example, like we have a wideout go down, we have to discuss what plays do we still like with the personnel that we have and what do we need to not call again.”

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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.