At the beginning of the season, Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson took some criticism and held himself accountable for not getting tight ends Cole Kmet and rookie first-round pick Colston Loveland involved enough in the offense. That has certainly changed of late.
While things are still slow for Kmet this season, Loveland has started to show Bears fans why the team picked him over Tyler Warren in the NFL Draft. Loveland has posted three consecutive games with at least 40 yards receiving, including his 118-yard and two-touchdown performance with his game-winning score in the win over the Cincinnati Bengals.
In Chicago's 19-17 win over the Minnesota Vikings last week, Kmet and Loveland, for the first time all season, each posted at least 40 yards receiving. Kmet had five catches for 45 yards, and Loveland had three receptions for 40 yards.
The good news is that the Bears' pair at tight end is starting to catch fire at the right time. Even better, they are facing a team that is one of the worst at defending tight ends.
Pittsburgh Steelers have a nightmare matching coming for them
Just how bad is the Steelers' defense against tight ends? CHSN shared that Pittsburgh has allowed 68 receptions for 687 yards and seven touchdowns this year.
Chicago's tight ends, between Kmet and Loveland, have combined for 40 receptions for 521 yards and three touchdowns this season. Loveland leads the way between them with 24 receptions for 329 yards and two touchdowns. Kmet has 16 receptions for 192 yards and one touchdown.
While Kmet or Loveland are not putting up the kind of numbers Johnson is used to when he was with the Detroit Lions with Sam LaPorta, there are signs that something special is brewing with the tight ends. Loveland's confidence has skyrocketed since the Bengals game, where he proved he can be the number two or three target in this passing offense.
There are still some questions about Kmet and whether he's got a future in Chicago or if the team goes in another direction. His production has gone down for a second straight season, but he still shows signs that he can be one of the top pass catchers on this team as well if he's given the targets. One aspect of Kmet's game that has been bigger than his receptions is his blocking in the passing and running games.
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Pittsburgh's safeties and linebackers could be in for a long day trying to contain Loveland and Kmet, who are poised for big days.