Chicago Bears Coaches Corner: Week One

Wide Receivers:

Allen Robinson looked every bit the explosive playmaker that he was billed to be in the off-season.  He caught 4-7 passes for 61 yards, and one of them was a jump ball situation in which he not only out jumped the defensive back, but he did something that last year’s receiving Corps were either unable or unwilling to do, he went up and got the ball at its highest point, and put himself in danger doing so.

NFL receivers generally don’t mind jumping forward, jumping sideways, or diving to the ground; but many will not go straight up anymore to attack the ball at the high point.

Why?  Well it’s a defenseless position in which you can be flipped on your head or driven into the ground by the DB in hopes of separating you from the ball.  Yet the best, those wearing Gold Jackets, were not only willing to do it, but they were excellent at it.  I’m not saying that Robinson is a hall of fame player, but I am saying that this skill lends itself to strong position play and creates production.  Hopefully he and Coach Mike Furrey can teach others at the position how to high point the ball and go up before the DB can get it.

Taylor Gabriel had a good game as well catching 5-5 for 25 yards.  Anthony Miller caught 2-3 for 14 also.  Those numbers, however could have been better had Trubisky had enough time to go through his progressions and decipher the zone coverage and find them in the holes.  But yet, they made plays when it counted and they caught what was thrown to them.  You can’t ask much more of a receiving corps than that, and truthfully, it’s far more than last year’s receivers were able to accomplish.

Tight Ends:

The tight ends had a mostly forgettable night… or at least a night they’ll want to forget.  Trey Burton received the Cohen treatment and was regularly undercut by a defender to ensure that his throwing lanes were disrupted.  He finished the night 1-1 for 6 yards.  Dion Sims caught 2-3, but only managed 9 yards and inexplicably ran backwards with his route costing the team a first down when all he needed to do was run flat to the sideline.

Coach Kevin Gilbride is going to have his work cut out for him this week as he helps Nagy and Helfrich figure out why they couldn’t get open and why they weren’t in a position to help the QB with the pressures.