The Bears may not have gotten Zavion Thomas into the return game in Week 1, but the message from Carolina was already loud and clear: keep the ball away from him.
Chicago special teams coordinator Richard Hightower said the Panthers adjusted their approach with Thomas in mind, even though he had yet to take his first NFL snap.
“When you take a look at that game, they definitely were kicking the ball away from him,” Hightower said. “We want the ball in his hands, so we’re going to do everything we can to get the ball in his hands.
He’s got to go get some of those, and we’re going to make sure that he is working to do that. They definitely tried to pin it in the corner and keep it away from him.
I haven’t seen that this early on, but it is what it is.”
That’s a pretty strong hint about how Thomas is being viewed around the league. His preseason work and training camp buzz had already turned heads, and his burst as a returner sparked Devin Hester comparisons. That may be getting ahead of things, but the speed and agility are real enough that opponents are taking notice.
In Chicago’s opener, Kalif Raymond handled the lone punt return, while Josh Blackwell was used on kickoffs. Thomas never got a chance to flash. Still, the fact that a team was already changing its kicking strategy around a player with just one preseason game under his belt says plenty.
Thomas made that lone preseason appearance count, and the Bears clearly believe there’s more waiting there. If he’s as dangerous as he looked in camp and preseason, Chicago is going to have to find ways to get him touches. And if the Bears really are trying to chase coach Johnson’s goal of the highest scoring of all time, they’ll need every weapon they can get - including the third round returner out of LSU.
In Other News...
Kyler Gordons Recovery Just Became A Real Bears Problem
Kyler Gordons calf injury has already put the Bears in a tricky spot, but the recovery process has added another layer of uncertainty. The cornerback is on injured reserve and working through rehab away from the teams facilities with trainer Montel Fleming, a name he was introduced to through teammate Jaylon Johnson, which has put an even brighter spotlight on how Chicago is handling one of its more important defensive pieces.
The concern now is not just the injury itself, but the path Gordon is taking to get back. Questions have surfaced around Flemings background and credentials, and Gordons social media videos showing his physical activity have reportedly not sat well inside the organization. With Ben Johnson and Ryan Poles keeping an eye on it, the Bears are left trying to sort through a recovery situation that has become about much more than a calf. [Read more 🡒]
Bears Offensive Breakout Comes With One Debate Fans Wont Ignore
Week 1 brought plenty of attention to the Bears for reasons both good and bad, and Jon Gruden made sure the conversation included their defense. In pointing to Chicago as an example of poor tackling, he tied the issue to the lighter physical work teams have done during the offseason and preseason, a familiar complaint this time of year as clubs try to balance preparation with player health.
Gruden also had to give the offense its due, though, because the Bears did enough to create and finish scoring chances. For a team still trying to establish its identity, that kind of split-screen performance is exactly what fuels the debate around Chicago: the points were there, but so were the problems that could keep them from feeling fully settled. [Read more 🡒]
Bears Playmakers Could Make Minnesota Pay For One Week 2 Gamble
One week after opening the season, the Vikings are already staring at a familiar kind of dilemma: lean on Aaron Jones to steady the offense, or ask Carson Wentz to do more through the air in a divisional road game that could turn quickly if protection breaks down. For Chicago, the interest is in how Minnesota chooses to attack, because the Bears have plenty of incentive to make the Vikings answer uncomfortable questions early and often.
That is where Rome Odunze and Colston Loveland come into the picture, since both have the kind of matchup potential that can punish aggressive coverage and force a defense to pick its poison. If Minnesota brings pressure or gets greedy with its secondary looks, Chicagos playmakers have a chance to make the Vikings pay for a gamble that sounded reasonable on paper but could look very different once the game is moving at full speed. [Read more 🡒]