Chicago Bears fans were left wondering if the team had made a mistake with their first two picks, having not seen much of Colston Loveland or Luther Burden. That isn’t really fair to either, as they can’t make plays if the ball doesn’t come their way. It would be a waiting game until they got their opportunity. Burden ended up being the one who broke the silence, and of course, he did so in epic fashion. Leading Dallas 7-3 in the 1st quarter, head coach Ben Johnson dialed up one of his classic gadget plays: a flea flicker. Despite a dangerous toss from D’Andre Swift back to Caleb Williams, the quarterback fired a 65-yard laser to a streaking Burden for a massive touchdown.
This was exactly why the Bears drafted him. Burden was a big play machine at Missouri, showcasing his terrific mix of speed and quickness. What many overlooked was his ability as a route-runner. Combine that with the great timing of the play call and you get touchdowns like that. It feels like merely a taste of what’s to come. Burden is only scratching the surface of his potential. Putting him in the hands of a mad scientist like Johnson always felt like a mistake on the NFL’s part.
Luther Burden isn’t the only one the Bears should get going.
Loveland is another piece to that puzzle. For two weeks, the team hasn’t done enough to get him involved. There were plenty of instances of the rookie being open. Either he wasn’t the first read or Williams just didn’t see him. Either way, he and Luther Burden are the type of weapons defenses fear. They have speed, athleticism, route-running, and hands. It is little wonder Johnson wanted to draft them. There is no telling how much better they’ll get as the season goes on. It won’t be a clean development. Struggles will follow days like this. Still, those two feel like a central part of this team’s future.
