The Chicago Bears passing game has undergone a significant transformation for the second week in a row. Against the Dolphins, they debuted their recent trade acquisition Chase Claypool while benching 3rd round pick Velus Jones. Now things will get even more interesting. According to the team website, Byron Pringle was activated from Injured Reserve. Barring an unexpected change, the veteran will play for the first time since he suffered a calf injury against the Houston Texans in Week 3.
This development makes the Bears’ wide receiver position the healthiest it’s been all year. It likely means fewer snaps for Equanimeous St. Brown and Dante Pettis against the Detroit Lions. That is something fans aren’t sad to hear. Both have squandered numerous opportunities to make big players in recent weeks. The latest example is Brown’s brutal drop on 4th down last week against Miami. It’s a safe bet the team will go with a foursome of Darnell Mooney, Claypool, Pringle, and N’Keal Harry in this game.
The Chicago Bears still hope to help Fields chuck it.
There is no question their young quarterback is playing with extra confidence lately. His Dolphins performance was the best this city has seen in at least four years. The contentious part is he did most of the damage with his legs. While Justin Fields threw three touchdowns, he only had 123 yards passing. He has crossed the 200-yard threshold only once this season. That isn’t entirely his fault. Bad protection and inadequate help from the wide receivers are contributing factors to this. Everything points to that changing on Sunday.
Not only do the Chicago Bears have a strong trio of proven targets now in Mooney, Claypool, and Pringle, but they also face a Lions defense that is among the league’s worst against the pass. If Fields gets even modest protection, there is a chance he could have one of his best games through the air. The hype is already high for Fields lately. A productive day throwing the ball might put it over the top. No doubt Pringle needs to make up for lost time. He only has two catches this season. He won’t reach another season in Chicago at that rate.
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