Week 1 is the most unpredictable time in the NFL season. All 32 NFL teams are still adjusting as they move from training camp and the preseason to actual games.
That means the Chicago Bears can’t afford to let their guard down as they prepare for their Week 1 road game against the defending NFC South champions, the Carolina Panthers.
Bears fans will obviously focus most of their attention on Caleb Williams and the starting offense and defensive coordinator Dennis Allen’s defense for tomorrow’s game, but special teams will have an equally important impact.
Kalif Raymond and Zavion Thomas can impact Bears' Week 1 game
Bears special teams coordinator Richard Hightower told reporters on Thursday that he feels confident in the players that general manager Ryan Poles has acquired for the third phase. Veteran Kalif Raymond and rookie Zavion Thomas give the Bears options in the return game.
Raymond has 188 career attempts as a punt returner, totaling 1,948 yards and three touchdowns. He also has 62 kick returns for 1,338 yards.
Thomas showed what he could do as a punt returner against the Tennessee Titans in the preseason finale, returning a punt 39 yards late in the second quarter.
Hightower has full confidence in his two returners and feels his unit just needs to execute on the blocks, while Raymond and Thomas take care of the football against the Panthers.
Carolina gave up the eighth-most punt return yards in the NFL last season (313). The Bears finished just 19th in the league with 231 total punt return yards. With two new dynamic players capable of returning punts, that’s an area the Bears can potentially exploit on Sunday.
The kick return game may be more difficult. Carolina allowed 1,333 yards, 27th-fewest in the league. Chicago finished 11th in the league with 1,792 kick return yards, but Raymond and Thomas could be the difference-makers to break open some big returns at Bank of America Stadium.
When Hightower was asked about setting the tone early on special teams and what he wants to see from his unit, the experienced coordinator highlighted poise, physicality, speed, and aggression.
If Hightower's third phase can consistently play that style of football, then the unit will increase the likelihood of big returns, giving Williams and the offense shorter fields to work with throughout the game.
Read more: Why Bears have zero reason to hold Caleb Williams back from being a 'shot taker'
Raymong and Thomas have proven that it doesn't take much to spring them open for a big return. That's exactly what the Bears will need to help them come away with a Week 1 victory over Carolina.
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