Just days before the season opener, Chicago Bears wide receiver Luther Burden III put the world on notice about Colston Loveland. He predicted a breakout second season for the tight end out of Michigan, the team's leader in receiving yards in his rookie campaign.
That's why, in a day the Bears managed to put up a whopping 59 points, scored eight touchdowns, and put up 552 total yards of offense (including 261 passing), it was baffling to see Loveland fail to record a single stat.
While the knee-jerk reaction would be to be worried about the star tight end, it should actually be the opposite. If anything, it's just a testament to how stacked and explosive this offense can be, regardless of who thrives on any given day.
Colston Loveland will be fine, and so will the Bears
Loveland ran 35 routes, according to Pro Football Focus, so it's not like he wasn't out there. Yes, he failed to haul in both of his targets, but having him out there drew too many eyeballs on defense, and that ultimately led to big plays for everyone else.
Also, Loveland's physicality in the running game helped Ben Johnson's team rush for 291 yards and two touchdowns. He might not be happy with his numbers, but the tape will grant him plenty of love in the building.
Of course, this was a somewhat disappointing performance, but this game is too complex to just box-score-watch. Loveland helped his team to the best of his capacities, and this is just what happens when you have so many weapons.
Somewhat surprisingly, Kalif Raymond paced the team in targets (9), receptions (8), and receiving yards (84). Luther Burden chipped in with five grabs for 63 yards, with Rome Odunze logging 52 yards on just two receptions. They didn't even need explosive rookie Zavion Thomas.
This just goes to show how many different ways this offense can beat other teams. Anybody can step up, and they'll just have to pick their poison and game plan for every single one of them. There's no way to double anyone with so many options to choose from.
Even with some rave reviews in training camp, not even the most plugged-in Bears insider had Raymond, of all people, being the team's leading pass catcher. And most people would've asked how many touchdowns Loveland had in the game if they missed it, but saw the final box score.
That's just the way it goes, and it should be a scary warning to the rest of the league. There's no defense in football that's equipped to deal with so many weapons, and if this is the worst they'll be, one can only wonder the numbers they can put up once Loveland also gets going.
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