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The Chicago Bears face a nearly must-win situation against the Cowboys in Week 3. Maybe better practice habits would help it happen. And here is the Bears’ X-factor for their Week 3 clash versus the Cowboys.
It’s not a shocking revelation because he’s already put together two good weeks. But if the Bears are going to have a shot against the Cowboys, wide receiver Rome Odunze will have to come up big.
And the opportunity appears to be there after the Giants thrashed the Cowboys’ secondary with multiple big plays in Week 2.
Against the Lions in Week 2, Odunze totaled 128 yards receiving with two touchdowns. It’s tough in the NFL to repeat that kind of performance. But it’s not out of the question that Odunze could have another big game, getting near or past the 100-yard mark again.
Odunze said his big game against the Lions was a product of teamwork, according to chicagobears.com.
“Just kudos to everybody around, everybody doing their job,” Odunze said. “I’ve been able to make a few plays here and there, so, obviously, just trusting in the offense and trusting in the game plan and going out there and executing it. So, just honestly following that guideline has got me the stat line that I’ve had.”
Odunze, the No. 9 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, has captured the confidence of his teammates. He’s still listed as WR2 on the Bears’ depth chart, but there is a growing belief that he’s already WR1.
“You can tell he’s playing with a lot of confidence,” running back D’Andre Swift said. “Playing fast. Knows his assignments. Type of guy you want in your offensive playmakers, as well as everybody else in that room.”
The good news is the players seem to have developed that connection between quarterback and wide receiver that turns into big seasons.
“We can kind of erase mistakes in a sense — with a broken play, make a positive out of what would be a negative play,” Odunze shared. “So, those are obviously great things to be able to have in our back pocket, but at the end of the day, we want to run the offense clean and precisely. And if we do that, we’ll have success on offense, so that’s our main priority.”
And Odunze said he sees improvement in Williams.
“He’s had steady improvement,” Odunze said. “And the O-line has done a great job of with their role as well, holding up front and doing a great job with keeping him in the pocket and giving him that space to make plays.”
Offensive coordinator Declan Doyle said he sees Williams moving forward as well, according to chicagobears.com.
“You saw a guy [in Week 2] who has improved,” Doyle said. “Since we got here, he’s improved a little bit at a time. We expect him to continue to progress. We expect...
