Getty Offensive coordinator Bill Lazor of the Chicago Bears has some unhappy WRs.
The Chicago Bears wide receivers room is not a very happy one right now, according to the team’s offensive coordinator Bill Lazor, but that’s understandable considering the circumstances.
While the Bears are 6th in the NFL in rushing, gaining 136.6 yards per game on the ground, their passing game is undisputedly the league’s worst, and the team’s top wideout over the last three seasons, Allen Robinson, is off to a career-worst start. So far, A-Rob has just 26 catches for 271 yards and a touchdown. This, after he notched two consecutive 1,000+ yard seasons and finished among the top five most-targeted WRs in the league over the last two seasons.
Lazor admitted when speaking to the media on November 5 that his receivers currently weren’t happy — but he also explained why this is fine, and perfectly natural.
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Lazor: ‘A Lot of Unhappy Pass Catchers’
The Bears’ OC says that while the team has been struggling to find ways to create separation and make more explosive plays happen downfield, it’s not for lack of trying, particularly when it comes to thinking of ways to get Robinson more involved. Lazor then got very honest about it all.
“I think every day we talk about it,” Lazor said about getting Robinson more targets. “You know, what are the best (routes) for him to be on, you know, how do we get him the ball? I mean, the reality is, the way we’re playing football right now, there are a lot of unhappy offensive pass catchers. They’re being professional, and they’re trying to help us win, but when you’re running the ball so much … no one’s going to be happy and that’s — that is the case.”
It was an incredibly candid moment for Lazor, and it almost felt refreshing after the vague and bizarrely-worded responses the team’s head coach, Matt Nagy, has become notorious for giving.
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Robinson Has Been Completely Professional Through it All
For his part, A-Rob hasn’t said an ill word about the team or its staff, and he hasn’t so much as vented his frustrations with his lack of targets and production once. Still, he admits it hasn’t been an easy start to the season.
“I mean, it’s been tough,” Robinson said on November 3, per Gene Chamberlain of Sports Illustrated. “Just trying to, you know, trying to account for everything, trying to see what I can do differently, trying to figure out what there is that can be done differently, again, on my end. Really trying to control the things that I can control to possibly change whatever is going on to increase my production or whatever the case may be, that’s what I’ve been trying to do each and every week.”
When he was asked if Robinson has expressed frustration at all, Lazor was quick to respond. “No. No, very professional group.”
So how does he know his WRs are frustrated?
“I just know,” Lazor said. “It’s not the first time. You run the ball this much, certain people are happy about it, but we’re not happy when you don’t score points in this league. Passing production leads to more points. Until we get the passing game to produce better,” Lazor added, “We’re gonna have a hard time.”
He’s not lying. After the first eight games of the season, Chicago ranks dead last in passing, averaging an anemic 127.4 yards per game. The second-worst team in yardage gained through the air is the New Orleans Saints, who are netting 180.9 yards per contest. Three WRs, Cooper Cupp (115.5 ypg), Deebo Samuel (117.0 ypg) and Davante Adams (106.3 ypg), nearly equal that total themselves every week. The Bears had better find some answers — and fast — if they don’t want their season to go down the tubes in a hurry.