The Bears’ defense has quietly turned tight ends into a problem for opposing offenses, and Tucker Kraft may be the next one stuck in the middle of it.
Chicago has already handled the position well this season. The Panthers’ tight ends managed just two catches for 35 yards, then the Bears blanked tight ends entirely in Weeks 2 and 3 before the Jets’ group finally broke through with nine receptions for 78 yards. Even with that modest bump, the Bears have still held tight ends to 10.7 yards per catch.
That puts Kraft in a rough spot heading into Week 5. The Green Bay Packers tight end was one of the position’s most dangerous playmakers last season, the kind of player who could rack up yards after the catch and create headaches in traffic.
This year, though, the production has dipped hard. Through four games, Kraft has 148 receiving yards on 15 catches and only one touchdown.
The bigger issue for Green Bay is that Kraft no longer looks like Jordan Love’s first choice when the game gets tight. Matthew Golden has taken a leap, Christian Watson is finally healthy, and Kraft appears to have slid down the pecking order. He’s still waiting for that breakout game, but Chicago’s defense is not a friendly place for it to happen.
The Packers’ offensive line hasn’t helped. It has been comically bad, and that could push Jordan Love into more passing attempts than Matt LaFleur wants. Even so, if Kraft can’t find room, it could turn into a long afternoon for Green Bay.
Chicago may also get another boost if Kyler Gordon makes his season debut in Week 5. There’s still no official update, but he has been a full participant in practice, and as the Bears’ top slot specialist, he would add another layer to the coverage plan against Kraft.
Add in rookie involvement from Dillon Thieneman and Malik Muhammad in the slot, plus the Bears’ improved linebacker play, and the matchup tilts even further in Chicago’s favor. For Kraft, the skid could keep going for at least one more week.
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Caleb Williams Return Talk Just Put Bears Fans On Edge
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Bears Offense Just Made Caleb Williams Even More Essential
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With the Bears heading into Week 6 against Atlanta, the next few practices matter a lot. The expectation is that Williams will be back in the starting lineup, but his availability will come down to how he looks in the lead-up, which leaves the offense waiting on its most important piece before it can really settle back in. [Read more 🡒]
Bears Left Lambeau With A Problem Fans Feared All Along
The Bears left Lambeau Field with more than a lopsided loss on their hands. In a 31-7 defeat to the Packers, Chicago spent most of the afternoon searching for any kind of rhythm on offense, and the result only sharpened questions that had been hanging over the unit for weeks. Tyson Bagent got the start at quarterback and the Bears leaned on him to settle things down, but the game never really moved in that direction.
Chicagos ground game, which had shown more promise earlier in the season, was bottled up for the kind of production that leaves little margin for error. With the offense stuck in neutral and the scoreboard moving the wrong way, the Bears came away from Green Bay facing the same concern their fans feared all along: whether this group has enough answers when it cannot run effectively or find stability behind center. [Read more 🡒]