Chicago Bears: 5 Takeaways from Week 14 win vs. Cowboys
Tight ends had a great game
The Chicago Bears had high hopes for their tight end unit. They hoped that having Trey Burton and Adam Shaheen together would give them two big security valves for quarterback Mitchell Trubisky. Defenses would need to pick one or the other, leaving someone open, especially in the red zone.
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Things didn’t end up that way, though. Burton suffered through injuries all season long and Shaheen couldn’t find much playing time until both had to be placed on injured reserve and had their seasons ended prematurely. The two players combined for 23 receptions for 158 yards and no touchdowns for the season.
The Bears were left with Ben Braunecker, J.P. Holtz, and Jesper Horsted as their tight ends. Then, Braunecker missed this game because of a concussion.
Holtz and Horsted got to be more involved in the offense and they made the best of it. They combined to catch all seven throws made their way for 92 yards. They didn’t find the end zone but they made big plays. Holtz made a big 19-yard catch on the first drive that got the ball deep into Cowboys territory, and on the second drive took a screen pass 30 yards to set up the Bears’ first touchdown.
Horsted made a catch that put the ball inside the red zone and set up a field goal that gave the Bears a lead they wouldn’t relinquish. Horsted also caught a touchdown last week against the Lions, helping the Bears win the game.
It is critical for the tight ends to contribute for the Bears to continue this good streak. Without them doing anything, defenses can concentrate on the receivers or the running backs. Now, with them playing well, those same receivers and backs have more space to work. We need more of this play from the tight ends.