Coming into the end of July, most of the discussions around the Chicago Bears offense were the wide receivers. Excitement was sky high for second-year man Luther Burden. Rome Odunze revealed that his foot injury has fully healed and he’s pain-free. However, it didn’t take long to recognize who the real star of the show is in this offense. Tight end Colston Loveland was dominating opponents towards the end of last season before a concussion knocked him out of the divisional playoff. That doesn’t seem to have affected him at all.
The former 1st round pick isn’t just active in early training camp practices. He’s dominating. Friday’s practice alone saw him catch four touchdowns. That includes the final one during the climactic team period, where the offense faced a two-minute situation. It got to a point where everybody knew the ball was going his way, from the sideline to the fans in the stands. It didn’t matter. Loveland kept making plays. If there was any debate about who the real #1 target in this offense is, he’s putting that to bed.
This Colston Loveland news brings mixed feelings.
First and foremost, it is further validation of the Bears’ decision to draft him. They always felt he had the talent to become a dangerous weapon in this offense. Time has shown that they may have undersold him. Poles said he believes Loveland is destined to become an All-Pro. The more you watch him, the easier it becomes to see. Quarterback Caleb Williams already trusts him. Head coach Ben Johnson runs the perfect offense for him. If he stays healthy, the production will be something special.
At the same time, this dominance raises concerns about the Bears defense. People were already nervous about the unit after last season. For all the takeaways they produced, it was a largely underwhelming group. Colston Loveland doing this to them doesn’t bode well for the season. Chicago plays several teams that field good tight ends this year.
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- Tucker Kraft (Green Bay)
- T.J. Hockenson (Minnesota)
- Sam LaPorta (Detroit)
- Dallas Goedert (Philadelphia)
- Kyle Pitts (Atlanta)
- Dalton Kincaid (Buffalo)
Not being able to cover tight ends is a pretty big weakness for any defense. Dennis Allen and his staff must work to get that figured out.
The Bears have officially entered Bizarro World.
Up is down. Left is right. Yes is no. For decades, fans have gotten used to the same story every offseason. The defense dominates the offense to start training camp, and that reality holds most of the way through. This was often a reminder that most of the talent lay on that side of the ball. Not anymore. Thanks to Loveland, Williams, and others, it’s the offense dictating the action to start camp. This marked the second day in a row where they pretty much had their way with the defense aside from a scattered few moments.
This seems like the new normal for the Bears. With Johnson in charge now, this will be an offense-first team. That is their identity. One can understand that. It is the way most successful teams are built these days. Still, it’s admittedly a little uncomfortable. Chicago’s most successful eras have always been guided by defense. This is uncharted territory for fans. Hopefully, both sides of the ball have proven to be good this year. If not, Loveland seems more than ready to do the heavy lifting himself.
