Chicago Bears vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Five players to watch

Tarik Cohen

Remember when people openly wondered what the Chicago Bears were thinking selecting Cohen in the fourth round of last year’s draft? I do. “He’s just another Garrett Wolfe!” “He’s too small to run the ball!” “He played in the FCS. That’s not real competition!”

Well, that didn’t last long.

One game may have been all Cohen needed to establish himself as the Chicago Bears’ most dangerous offensive player.

In his debut, he notched 158 all-purpose yards, including 66 yards rushing and 47 yards receiving on 8-12 targets. And his huge 46-yard run and 19-yard touchdown catch were two of the Bears’ most significant offensive plays on Sunday.

But it wasn’t just about the numbers; it was the way he got those yards. He cut back across the field and left defenders strewn on the field in his wake. He caught passes out of the backfield or the slot and shrugged off a barrage of bodies belting him to the turf. And he simply brought life and energy to a Bears offense that didn’t have much going for it otherwise.

With no Kevin White, no Cameron Meredith and a recovering Markus Wheaton, look for Cohen to keep seeing a large role in the passing game with the extensive injuries to Chicago’s receiving corps.

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Much like the Falcons did, the Buccaneers will aim to limit Jordan Howard and pressure Glennon frequently. Doing that significantly stalled the Chicago Bears offense. But both the Bears and Bucs now know that getting the ball in Cohen’s hands changes the game.

The secret is out, but that shouldn’t stop the Chicago Bears from using arguably the best offensive weapon they have right now.