The Chicago Bears' Week 16 showdown against the Green Bay Packers just got a whole lot tougher, as the team will be without two key offensive players.
Bears wide receivers Luther Burden III and Rome Odunze have both been ruled out of the game against the Packers with injuries. That leaves a massive gap at wide receiver that'll need to be filled by undrafted rookie Jahdae Walker and return specialist Devin Duvernay.
Speaking to reporters about the situation, Bears tight end Cole Kmet knows that not having Odunze and Burden is tough, but the team's mentality needs to be simple: the next man must step up.
“It’s always next man up mentality," Kmet said via CHGO. "I think we’ve really embodied that this year. There’s never hesitation from the coaching staff…they got a lot of faith in everybody that’s in here.”
Bears need others, including Kmet to step up
Kmet, himself, has been banged up all week with an ankle and knee issue, as he was listed as questionable for the Packers. He has assured the media that he will be stepping on the field for the Bears.
It's going to be a big game for the tight ends as Kmet and rookie Colston Loveland are going to have bigger roles in the passing game. Loveland has been getting more targets than Kmet, but both will most likely line up on the field together and could alternate between lining up on the line or pushed out as a receiver.
Equally as important, DJ Moore and Olamide Zaccheaus are going to see their roles as the top two targets for Caleb Williams. Moore is coming off a two-touchdown performance in the win over the Cleveland Browns, and Zaccheaus is starting to pick things up after dropping three passes in the New York Giants game last month.
Walker and Duvernay have limited snaps on offense, and this will be the first game this season that they will see significant time on the field for offense. Duvernay has two catches on the year, but Walker has yet to have a completion in an NFL regular season game.
Read more: Ben Johnson sure sounds like he's ready to show off Bears' backup receivers
There will be a lot of nervous Bears fans at Soldier Field as they pray the offense will still be good without Odunze and Burden, but the weapons they have now should be enough to help them maintain their lead in the NFC North.