Chicago Bears: Matt Nagy keeping Tarik Cohen under wraps

Although Tarik Cohen has made a minimal impact in the preseason, he’s still one of the biggest keys to offensive success for the Chicago Bears.

Second-year playmaker Tarik Cohen was only on the field for one snap in the Chicago Bears second preseason game against the Cincinnati Bengals. His snap count increased only slightly last week versus the Denver Broncos. Yet when he was on the field, he wasn’t very productive.

He caught one pass (on three targets) for 10 yards and received no carries. On his lone catch, Cohen caught the ball cleanly and appeared to have an opening on the edge to run for a first down, but he instead cut it back inside and failed to convert the third down (Mitchell Trubisky later got the first down on a fourth-and-1 quarterback sneak).

Cohen was the intended target on Trubisky’s last throw of the evening, but the 5-9 running back stopped his route short and the pass was intercepted. The Bears also had to call a timeout earlier in the first half because Cohen was lined up incorrectly.

These preseason gaffes aren’t a welcomed sight, but there’s no need to panic either. Cohen was one of the lone bright spots on the team a year ago, and there’s no reason to think he won’t be again this season. His explosiveness and demonstrative playing style are just what the Bears need, and his role in the offense figures to be much larger in 2018.

Matt Nagy and the Bears have limited Cohen’s snaps in the preseason in an attempt to hide some of the creative plays he’ll be involved in. Cohen should line up all over the field, including in the backfield, in the slot, and out wide. He’ll be involved in screens, jet sweeps and even some Wildcat formations (he did throw a touchdown last season).

So while it hasn’t been a great preseason for Cohen so far in terms of production and playing time, he’s going to be just fine. As Nagy continues to take the chains off this offense, Cohen’s role—and impact—will only continue to grow.