What An Essential Part of the Bears Offense Return Means for the Playoffs
The Chicago Bears will host their final regular-season game on Sunday afternoon, taking on division rival the Detroit Lions. The Bears sit at 11-5, with the division already won and their first playoff game set for home against another division rival in the Green Bay Packers. After a tough loss against the San Francisco 49ers last week, Bears fans are still excited for their first playoff run since 2020 after the offense exploded and scored 38 points. They were able to prove they can hang with any team in the NFC, and could potentially see the 49ers again in the playoffs. That time around, however, they’d have a major piece of the offense back in their lineup, providing an even bigger challenge for the opposing defense.
Wide receiver Rome Odunze missed the entire month of December with a nagging stress fracture in his foot and had weeks of being ruled out. This week against the Lions, he has been ruled as questionable showing his injury is beginning to heal and his return to the field is nearing. While he could potentially play against Detroit, head coach Ben Johnson will likely opt to keep him sidelined this week and allow his injury to fully heal just in time for game one of the playoffs. Despite missing a lot of games this season, Odunze has 661 receiving yards and six touchdowns. He has become a vital part of the Bears’ offense and developed a connection with his quarterback, Caleb Williams.
Odunze’s return not only gives his quarterback a reliable target once again, but also makes it much more difficult for game planning against them. It’s been quite a while since all three of the Bears’ main wide receivers being Odunze, D.J. Moore, and Luther Burden III, were all healthy at the same time. All three share scarily similar statistics this year, being in the 600-yard range, while Moore shares having six touchdowns alongside Odunze. It has proven Williams’ ability to spread the ball out well while also showing how dangerous the Chicago offense has been. They can hit with you any of the three, leading to how successful the offense has been this season, alongside Williams' big leap of improvement and confidence. Odunze will be a name to continue to look out for, as the playoff season is approaching with just one week away.
