The Chicago Bears wide receivers have not been making the most of their oppurtunities
When the Chicago Bears blew out the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday, we all saw that as the explosion game from Mitch Trubisky. However, it could be worth questioning whether or not that is a breakout game for their receivers as well.
Last Word on Sports did interesting research using NextGen Stats to find out which wide receiver corps was making the most out of their targets. The formula was to look at yards per reception in relation to expected yards per reception.
Expected yards per reception is a formula from NFL.com based on “how open the receiver is, how fast they’re traveling, how many defenders/blockers are in space, etc.”
The idea is that if you are to compare expected yards per reception to the actual yards per reception, you could see who is making the most of their opportunities and who is not.
The chart is below.
Which NFL teams boast the top playmaking WRs/TEs once the ball's in their hands? This graphic which utilizes NFL #NextGenStats paints an interesting pictures. Players included in these calculations had a minimum of 13 target at this point in the season. pic.twitter.com/prsHjD7djf
— LastWordOnNFL (@LastWordOnNFL) October 5, 2018
The chart makes sense. The Miami Dolphins have been known for their quick passing and screens leading them to their first three wins. With Albert Wilson, Danny Amendola, and Jakeem Grant, they are doing a lot after the catch.
However, it is disappointing to see the Chicago Bears rank 31st in the NFL, picking up 0.88 yards less than expected.
This could have to do with many things, but mainly, their wide receivers are not breaking tackles. Allen Robinson is a big receiver who can create separation. However, he is not necessarily known for his after the catch presence.
That is why the team targeted Anthony Miller and Taylor Gabriel. Of course, Miller is a rookie who has been eased into the group and missed Week Four. Taylor Gabriel exploded in the first half of week one but got cold as Trubisky did.
However, the two heated back up together. Adding in Tarik Cohen, it is going to be on Gabriel to lead the Chicago Bears receivers in this category. Whether it was Trubisky who went cold or Gabriel, when the creation after the catch is falling off, the group is going to struggle.
This will be something to monitor moving forward.