Bears rookie WR Luther Burden may see increased playing time, thanks to clutch performance. Burden's impressive catch in the fourth quarter of Sunday's 24-20 win over the Giants could be a turning point in his development with the team. After missing three consecutive games due to a concussion suffered against the Ravens, Burden returned on Sunday with a significant impact. The Bears' second-round rookie caught three passes for 51 yards, marking his first game back after being sidelined.
The 27-yard gain he recorded on a fade stop route helped set up a Bears field goal and contributed to their narrow victory over the Giants. "It was a pretty easy deep stopper," Burden said of the play. "Get him going, stop on a dime, get a good completion." The rookie's performance has been steadily increasing, with coach Ben Johnson noting that Burden is starting to get more targets.
"Slowly you've seen his rep count go up," Johnson said. "He's a guy who is starting to get more targets. It's a trust level between the coaches and the player. It's a trust level between the quarterback and a receiver. It continues to ascend." The Bears' offense has been struggling with drops lately, but Burden's impressive catch on Sunday helped alleviate some of that concern.
"We acknowledge the fact that there were a few of those that we could have hauled in," Johnson said. "We need to do that, turn the page, let's keep it moving." The Bears' quarterback, Caleb Williams, expressed confidence in his receiver's abilities. "As 'Lu' has said, when he gets the ball in his hands and he's one-on-one, he's pretty dangerous," Williams said.
Bears left tackle Theo Benedet also chimed in on Burden's performance, saying that the rookie had a significant impact on Sunday's game. "That was one of the fun ones, as an offensive lineman, to knock one in like that," Benedet said. The Bears' coaching staff is optimistic about Burden's future with the team, citing his steady improvement and increased playing time.
"We're finding ways to win," coach Ben Johnson said. "Yet we have so far that we can still go and accomplish." Only two years ago, Johnson was talking about the Bears being on the rise, and now it seems like the team is indeed heading in the right direction with Burden's emergence as a key contributor.
The 27-yard gain he recorded on a fade stop route helped set up a Bears field goal and contributed to their narrow victory over the Giants. "It was a pretty easy deep stopper," Burden said of the play. "Get him going, stop on a dime, get a good completion." The rookie's performance has been steadily increasing, with coach Ben Johnson noting that Burden is starting to get more targets.
"Slowly you've seen his rep count go up," Johnson said. "He's a guy who is starting to get more targets. It's a trust level between the coaches and the player. It's a trust level between the quarterback and a receiver. It continues to ascend." The Bears' offense has been struggling with drops lately, but Burden's impressive catch on Sunday helped alleviate some of that concern.
"We acknowledge the fact that there were a few of those that we could have hauled in," Johnson said. "We need to do that, turn the page, let's keep it moving." The Bears' quarterback, Caleb Williams, expressed confidence in his receiver's abilities. "As 'Lu' has said, when he gets the ball in his hands and he's one-on-one, he's pretty dangerous," Williams said.
Bears left tackle Theo Benedet also chimed in on Burden's performance, saying that the rookie had a significant impact on Sunday's game. "That was one of the fun ones, as an offensive lineman, to knock one in like that," Benedet said. The Bears' coaching staff is optimistic about Burden's future with the team, citing his steady improvement and increased playing time.
"We're finding ways to win," coach Ben Johnson said. "Yet we have so far that we can still go and accomplish." Only two years ago, Johnson was talking about the Bears being on the rise, and now it seems like the team is indeed heading in the right direction with Burden's emergence as a key contributor.