Everything starts with the quarterback when talking about offense in the NFL. That isn’t going to change. When the Chicago Bears elected to change play callers from Matt Nagy to Bill Lazor, it was primarily because they had to find a way to help Justin Fields get comfortable. This proved a success against the Detroit Lions as the rookie looked much sharper than he did in Cleveland.
However, an offensive play caller helps other players too. While Fields might be the intended beneficiary, there could be a few others who have struggled thus far that may love the switch to Lazor in the coming weeks. Chief among them is Cole Kmet. The former 2nd round pick has had a frustrating start to 2021. After a solid opener in Los Angeles with five catches for 42 yards, he has just three catches for 16 yards since.
Part of the problem? The team hasn’t really made a concerted effort to get him more involved in the passing game. Many will say it’s because he isn’t getting open enough, others will say he isn’t being given a fair chance. In reality, there is evidence to suggest he’ll get considerably more opportunities with Lazor on the call sheet.
Tight end target rankings under Nagy:
- 2018 – 4th
- 2019 – 7th
- 2020 – 4th
Tight end target rankings under Lazor:
- 2014 – 3rd
- 2015 – 2nd
- 2017 – 3rd
- 2018 – 3rd
There is evidence to back this up in Chicago too. Through the first nine games of 2020, which Nagy called plays in, Kmet had just eight targets. Jimmy Graham took up some of them while the receivers gathered most others. That changed when Lazor took over. Over the final seven games, the tight end got 36 targets and seemed to gain some confidence. It’s hard not to wonder if Nagy taking the call sheet back derailed that momentum.
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Bill Lazor can get Kmet more chances
The tight end has been so close to some big plays. The one posted above is a perfect example. Fields makes a great play avoiding pressure and finds the tight end one-on-one with a defensive back. He puts the ball in a perfect spot for what would’ve been a 32-yard catch. Unfortunately, Kmet wasn’t able to keep his feet, falling to the turf with the ball just out of his reach. So opportunities have been there. He hasn’t quite been able to take advantage.
With Bill Lazor in charge now, he will get more opportunities moving forward. While people have already begun to question whether he is a bust, the truth is Kmet was always a bit of a project when the Bears drafted. It’s easy to forget he split his time in college between baseball and football. So he wasn’t nearly as engrossed in how to play his position as others might think. It was his sheer size and athletic talent that helped him get picked so high. Expecting him to instantly become Travis Kelce or something was never realistic.
That doesn’t mean he is a failure.
Kmet has already proved he can be a solid blocker. There were glimpses of that against Detroit. Of course, fans don’t care about that. This is the era of pass-catching tight ends. So until he starts doing that, people will consider him a disappointment. If Lazor lives up to his reputation, things should improve as the season rolls along.
