Make that three weeks in a row that the Chicago Bears have put up at least points in a game after they hung 32 on a Miami Dolphins unit that admittedly ranked 29th in the NFL. Still, they managed to rack up over 350 net total yards for the fifth time this season and the fourth week in a row.
They are clearly trending in the right direction and at the heart of it has been the continued development of second-year quarterback Justin Fields.
That development got a significant boost this week when the Bears traded for Chase Claypool.
The 6-foot-4 wide receiver arrived the following day after the trade went down and got to work. It paid off as he was on the field early and somewhat often for the Bears versus the visiting Dolphins.
New WR Chase Claypool Gets Honest About His Bears Debut
Claypool Sounds Off on Debut
Fields connected with Claypool only twice on five looks for 13 yards. He also had one carry on an end-around that went for four yards. Three touches for 17 yards may not seem like much but Claypool’s impact went beyond the stat sheet on a day that saw Fields break the single-game rushing record by a quarterback.
Claypool was targeted on a deep ball in the first quarter that resulted in a 30-yard pass interference call against the Dolphins. It was small and won’t count for stats but it is an element of fear for opponents they’ve lacked.
The refs missed another later in the game that would have had the Bears threatening to tie or take the lead.
No flag 😂 pic.twitter.com/CVmh7dPCiM
— Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz (@LeBatardShow) November 6, 2022
“That was awesome. I think this, especially because they got me so involved so much, I think it will make the next game so much easier. Slows the game down, makes a lot of things easier.”
As for his own performance, it was not all good. Claypool had a couple of drops on screens but was direct in the aftermath on his play.
“I could have done a lot better. But I think once everything slows down I think I’ll be back to that 100% comfortability level. It’s like, you’re just running, sprinting to get lined up, and then you’re not really looking at coverage because you want to look at Justin to see if he does anything. So, the game sped up a little bit for today but it will slow down next week.”
If that happens, watch out. Claypool’s presence didn’t seem to impact Miami’s coverage too much this week by all accounts. But he and Fields already showed their budding rapport which only figures to get stronger as time passes.
The Quarterback Connection
Fields certainly went to him when he was out there.
“I think he did a great job this week studying and preparing for the game. For the plays he was in, he did the right thing. I think the more reps he gets the more comfortable he’s going to get with the offense and, of course, the more detailed he will be with each and every route.”
Bears GM Ryan Poles Sends Strong Message About Young Pass Rusher
That is not a lot but for someone who was in the playbook for less than a week, saying that Claypool did the right thing (albeit with a small package of plays) is a big deal.
The Bears have not always gotten that benefit this season.
At 3-6, the Bears will host the Detroit Lions (2-6) who are coming off a surprising upset win over the visiting Green Bay Packers. Detroit only put up 15 points in that one. But they entered the week ranked ninth in points and third in total yards. The Bears will surely have their work cut out for them.
Main Photo:
Embed from Getty Images
