Bear Digest

Bears Playmakers Win Over Even One of Their Longtime Critics

The explosive nature of Bears targets in the offense has won over one of their critics from ESPN in a ranking of teams with the best playmakers.

Gene Chamberlain

DJ Moore stiff-arms A.J. Terrell last season in a Bears win over Atlanta. Moore and their explosive receiver group are winning over critics.
DJ Moore stiff-arms A.J. Terrell last season in a Bears win over Atlanta. Moore and their explosive receiver group are winning over critics. / Jamie Sabau-USA TODAY Sports
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Certain writers and analysts always get accused of having it in for the Bears, whether this is actually true or not.

Michael Lombardi always gets mentioned prominently in this regard. Maybe it's the Lombardi name. And maybe the Bears deserve all the criticism.

Bill Barnwell of ESPN has consistently been down on Bears attempts to right the ship after only one winning season since 2012.

Times they may be a changin'.

Barnwell suddenly sees the Bears as a progressive offensive team.

In fact, in Barnwell's annual ranking of teams according to playmaker groups, he not only has the Bears in the NFL's top 10 but almost in the top five.

The Bears are ranked sixth in the NFL by Barnwell for the playmakers they've given Caleb Williams. Playmakers are considered to be wide receivers, running backs and tight ends.

"It has been only two years since the Bears were starting Velus Jones and Dante Pettis at wide receiver," Barnwell wrote, forgetting the not-so-dynamic Byron Pringle started as well. "Things have turned quickly. I'm not sure if Keenan Allen, D.J. Moore and Rome Odunze form the best trio of wide receivers a quarterback has had during a rookie season, but it can't be far off."

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He brought out the possibility another USC QB had better receivers as a rookie. That was Matt Leinart and the receivers were Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin but then it dropped off rapidly with Bryant Johnson, who never went above 49 catches in the NFL. Even Anthony Miller did better than 49 catches.

"Odunze would be the most exciting wideout on a quarter of the league's teams before ever playing a snap; here, he's probably the No. 3 out of the gates," Barnwell wrote.

The really exciting thing for the Bears about Barnwell's analysis is they are regarded to have better playmakers than the Detroit Lions and the Green Bay Packers. Only the Vikings, because of Justin Jefferson, are ahead of the Bears and they are one spot better. The Lions are one spot worse than the Bears and the Packers are 17th.

Barnwell assigns points for an overall score based on a formula he describes. From his description, the Bears might rank even better if they had one of the top running backs.

It's startling to see the Bears with better playmakers than Kansas City (14th), Cincinnati and the L.A. Rams. Only the 49ers (1st), Eagles (2nd), Dolphins (3rd) and Texans (4th) are regarded as better besides Minnesota. And someone needs to think seriously about Houston. Nico Collins has had one good season and two disappointing ones, while Tank Dell caught only 47 passes last year.

All of this only adds to the pressure facing Caleb Williams when he takes over as starting quarterback. Much will be expected with such a group of

Twitter: BearDigest@BearsOnMaven

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

BearDigest.com publisher Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.