Bears QB Caleb Williams' reliance on Rome Odunze has raised questions: Is the rookie receiver being targeted too often?
Caleb Williams, the Bears quarterback, has found his go-to receiver in Rome Odunze. In just one year, Odunze's role has evolved from building chemistry with Williams to becoming the primary target. This development is a positive sign for the offense, but it also raises concerns about Williams' ability to read defenses and find other options.
Last Sunday's game against the Baltimore Ravens highlighted this issue. Williams zeroed in on Odunze despite Nate Wiggins being draped all over him, resulting in an interception that sealed the Bears' 30-16 loss. Odunze himself claimed he was open but acknowledged that there was a better read for Williams.
The trend is not new, however. Throughout the season, Odunze has been targeted more frequently than any other receiver on the team. According to data, Odunze has been targeted 25.5% of the time this season, which is the 19th-most in the league. This increased target share has led some to wonder if Williams is relying too heavily on Odunze.
Odunze downplays the idea that he's being targeted too often, saying he deserves his fair share of targets and wants Williams to go through his reads before making a decision. The rookie receiver also emphasized that he doesn't want to be a crutch for Williams but rather complement him in the offense.
Williams acknowledges that he needs to find other options on the field but emphasizes that winning is more important than target shares. He believes that the receivers, including Odunze, understand this and are okay with not being the primary target as long as they help the team win.
The Bears' coaching staff seems to be aware of the issue, with head coach Ben Johnson saying that he wants to find a balance between designing plays for each receiver and picking them fairly. However, coverage often dictates whether the ball can go to Odunze or not.
In Sunday's matchup against the Bengals, Williams will have another opportunity to prove himself and spread the ball around. With running back D'Andre Swift out, Williams must be efficient inside the Bengals' 20-yard line, an area where their defense excels.
As the Bears look to right their ship and make a push for the playoffs, the focus will be on Williams finding his footing and spreading the ball to his talented receivers, including Odunze.
Caleb Williams, the Bears quarterback, has found his go-to receiver in Rome Odunze. In just one year, Odunze's role has evolved from building chemistry with Williams to becoming the primary target. This development is a positive sign for the offense, but it also raises concerns about Williams' ability to read defenses and find other options.
Last Sunday's game against the Baltimore Ravens highlighted this issue. Williams zeroed in on Odunze despite Nate Wiggins being draped all over him, resulting in an interception that sealed the Bears' 30-16 loss. Odunze himself claimed he was open but acknowledged that there was a better read for Williams.
The trend is not new, however. Throughout the season, Odunze has been targeted more frequently than any other receiver on the team. According to data, Odunze has been targeted 25.5% of the time this season, which is the 19th-most in the league. This increased target share has led some to wonder if Williams is relying too heavily on Odunze.
Odunze downplays the idea that he's being targeted too often, saying he deserves his fair share of targets and wants Williams to go through his reads before making a decision. The rookie receiver also emphasized that he doesn't want to be a crutch for Williams but rather complement him in the offense.
Williams acknowledges that he needs to find other options on the field but emphasizes that winning is more important than target shares. He believes that the receivers, including Odunze, understand this and are okay with not being the primary target as long as they help the team win.
The Bears' coaching staff seems to be aware of the issue, with head coach Ben Johnson saying that he wants to find a balance between designing plays for each receiver and picking them fairly. However, coverage often dictates whether the ball can go to Odunze or not.
In Sunday's matchup against the Bengals, Williams will have another opportunity to prove himself and spread the ball around. With running back D'Andre Swift out, Williams must be efficient inside the Bengals' 20-yard line, an area where their defense excels.
As the Bears look to right their ship and make a push for the playoffs, the focus will be on Williams finding his footing and spreading the ball to his talented receivers, including Odunze.
Caleb Williams needs to step up his game, fam! He's got Rome Odunze in his back pocket, but that doesn't mean he should only rely on him all the time. 
Nate Wiggins was all over him last week and still managed to get picked off. It's like, dude, you've gotta read those defenses better than that. And yeah, Odunze deserves some love, but so do the other receivers! Let's see Williams spread it around and not make his favorite receiver the only one who gets all the attention 
. Its like they're not reading the defense right. And yeah, Odunze says he wants to be a part of the offense, but can't we give other receivers a shot too? 
. And Ben Johnson's trying to balance it out, which is cool 
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. That would be a major disappointment.
. Like, I get it, they're building chemistry and all that, but 25.5% of the time? That's a lot! It makes me wonder if Nate Wiggins or one of the other receivers are even getting touched at all 
. Still hope the Bears can figure it out and make a run for the playoffs! 
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. The coaching staff knows this, so let's see if they can get Williams to mix it up a bit in their next game 
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?? i'm obsessed with it! they have so many flavors now, like strawberry and vanilla... anyway, back to the bears game lol. I was watching it live with my friends and we were all like "d'Andre swift is out, this is gonna be a tough one" 
. but you know what's even harder than football? trying to get avocado toast delivered on time 
. i mean, can't they just figure out how to get the order right?! 
. It's cool that they're building chemistry and stuff, but sometimes you gotta find other options, right? 
I mean, Nate Wiggins was all over him last week and still got picked off - what's up with that?! 
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. I'm rooting for Williams to spread the ball around and show everyone what he's got! 
. It's like they're asking him to be the safety net for Williams' lack of accuracy? 
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like nate wiggins has been going hard all season. I get that williams likes his dude but come on, spread the love 
i love odunze tho he deserves all the targets but lets see if caleb can step up his game 
and yeah ben johnson needs to find a way to balance it out so odunze doesn't get all the love 
gotta see how this plays out on sunday tho, i think it'll be cool if wills starts spreading the ball around more
and yeah, ben johnson says he wants balance, but how can you find that when odunze is always open (or so they say)? 
- he's got his go-to receiver in Rome Odunze and he's not afraid to use him, even when it means ignoring other open guys 
'. But hey, at least it's working... kinda 
. Williams needs to find a balance here, or they'll be stuck in Bears limbo forever 
. Odunze is cool with it though, saying he just wants to help the team win 
, but at some point, Williams needs to start looking elsewhere on the field. The coaching staff should be working on more plays that take advantage of Odunze's strengths while also giving him a break when he's not open.
. It'll be good for the team and it'll make the receivers look more dynamic too. Fingers crossed they can figure it out against the Bengals 
. Caleb Williams needs to develop some skills other than just finding his favorite receiver in traffic. It's like he's playing chess and everyone else is still trying to figure out how to cast a decent spell 
. The coaching staff should be putting pressure on Williams to spread the love, not just waiting for Odunze to magically become available 
. Maybe Williams just needs to take some pointers from Odunze on how to read defenses... or maybe he just needs to start trusting himself more 
. Caleb Williams needs to trust his gut and read the defenses, but he also has to give his other receivers a chance to shine 
. It's not about target shares, it's about winning 
. And Rome Odunze gets it - he's not looking for special treatment, just fair play 
. Let's hope Williams finds that balance and the Bears can turn their season around 
. We need more options for Williams to work with, that way he can truly be effective and make plays under pressure. The fact that Odunze himself said there was a better read for Williams but didn't get the ball is telling - we're just not using our depth chart to its full potential. And let's be real, having D'Andre Swift out only makes it more imperative for Williams to spread it around 
. The coaching staff needs to step in and mix things up before they're left in last place 
️. And what's with Odunze saying he deserves more targets? Um, no, you deserve to be a contributing member of the offense, not just the go-to guy