Over the course of his two-plus NFL seasons, Chicago Bears wide receiver Rome Odunze has had a litany of "gotta catch that" plays. Not all of them has been classified as drops, but there have been a frustrating number of near-misses for a former top-10 overall pick.
Odunze added to his list of head-scratching plays in Week 3 against the Philadelphia Eagles when he....well, it's hard to describe how badly he botched an easy touchdown.
On Thursday head coach Ben Johnson was asked about Odunze, in terms of anything he said to the third-year wide receiver after that ugly drop against the Eagles.
"I don't say a word to him,'' Johnson said. ''He knows to catch the darn ball, and we keep it moving from there. Nothing needs to be said in that regard.''
It's good for Johnson to not dwell on a notable mistake, lest it impact a player's confidence beyond self-critique. But Johnson, who is a mix of candid and close to the vest depending on what he's being asked about, also sent an undeniable public message to Odunze about "catching the darn ball."
Rome Odunze showed he heard Ben Johnson's message
Odunze clearly had quarterback Tyson Bagent's eye from the start on Sunday against the New York Jets, with a 21-yard completion on the second pass attempt of the game (with a near-fumble that would've inspired more criticism) followed by a short completion a couple of plays later.
Odunze reeled in six of his seven targets on Sunday, for a team-high 94 yards. Three of those grabs went for at least 20 yards, as the Jets' secondary really had no answers for him. He even took a hard hit at the end of one catch and hung onto the ball without issue.
Among a deep group of pass catchers for the Bears, Odunze has a unique combination of size and speed. If he can figure whatever is causing his issues with drops and general near-miss plays, then find a level of consistency which has eluded him so far, he can be a difference -maker in a way no one else can quite be.
Read more: Bears final Week 4 inactives: Caleb Williams officially out a second game
If Johnson hoped to send a message to Odunze during the week, he had to wait a few days to see if it was received. Six days after a drop that might've been funny if it wasn't so gut-wrenching on a primetime stage, the message about needing to "catch the darn ball" was indeed heard loud and clear.
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