Amid the spectacular story of third-string quarterback Case Keenum playing for the first time in three years and delivering a memorable night at Soldier Field, the Bears covered up some near-disasters in their 27-7 victory Monday against the Eagles.
Imagine how differently, for example, wide receiver Rome Odunze’s dropped pass in the end zone on third-and-goal from the 3-yard line would have been viewed if the game ended up being close. Instead, even though the Bears walked away with no points on that possession, it was just a quirk of the victory.
Not to coach Ben Johnson, however.
The Bears theoretically needed everything else to be almost perfect in case Keenum required some margin for error, and Odunze’s drop was egregious.
With pressure closing in on him, Keenum lobbed a perfectly placed ball to Odunze on a play in which Johnson schemed to get him one-on-one against Nolan Smith, a linebacker who wouldn’t be able to keep up.
With a clear view of the ball over Smith, Odunze got two hands on it, but it bounced off his fingertips. He tried to collect it and salvage the catch, but the delay allowed Smith to get involved, and Odunze was out of bounds when he came down with the pass.
‘‘I don’t say a word to him,’’ Johnson said Wednesday. ‘‘He knows to catch the darn ball, and we keep it moving from there. Nothing needs to be said in that regard.’’
Odunze set the table for himself by telling the Sun-Times during the offseason that it was time to prove he is ‘‘one of the best in the league’’ at his position. He also said none of the Bears’ instability or his injuries were valid excuses because, in the NFL, ‘‘You either do or you don’t.’’
Through three games, he hasn’t. And this is a critical season when it comes to his future with the Bears.
Odunze has only eight catches for 139 yards and no touchdowns coming off a training camp in which the coaching staff couldn’t say enough about how great he looked.
He has gotten 13 targets, trailing Luther Burden’s 23 and Kalif Raymond’s 21. That could be attributed to the quarterbacks, Johnson’s game plans or the Bears’ philosophy of having a diversified passing attack. Regardless, Odunze — the No. 9 overall pick in 2024 — needs to be such a difference-maker that quarterbacks can’t help but get him the ball.
‘‘All of our pass catchers right now are chomping to get fed a little bit more, and that’s a good thing,’’ Johnson said when he was asked whether the Bears need more from Odunze. ‘‘It’s on me as a play-caller to make sure they are all getting the ball distributed to them, then our quarterback’s got to do a great job.
‘‘It’s more on me than anything else just to make sure that everyone is getting the touches they deserve.’’
That answer probably has some truth to it, but it also was intended to shield Odunze.
The clock is ticking on Odunze to solidify his future the same way it is for quarterback Caleb Williams. Both are eligible for contract extensions after the season, but Odunze’s situation doesn’t get talked about nearly as much because of the attention on Williams.
It always has been that way. One of the biggest advantages Odunze has had is that he arrived in the same draft class as Williams, who was selected No. 1. It took a lot of outside pressure off him, but it won’t get him any leeway as the Bears evaluate making a long-term commitment.