The Chicago Bears scored 59 points, piled up 552 yards and scored eight touchdowns against the Carolina Panthers. Colston Loveland finished the afternoon without a catch.
For a second year tight end with breakout expectations, that is going to get attention. But there is more to Loveland’s debut than the zero in the box score.
Loveland played 65 snaps and ran 32 routes, according to A to Z Sports, leading all Bears pass catchers. His role clearly wasn’t diminished.
Rob Gronkowski also picked Loveland when asked on “Hot Ones” to name a tight end who could have a monster season…
“I’m going to go with Colston Loveland,” Gronkowski said. “He has the skills, he has the attributes. He’s going to be a phenomenal tight end.”
That may be the biggest silver lining of all: Loveland’s involvement was there. The production just wasn’t.
Loveland was involved. The production just wasn’t there
There is a big difference between a player disappearing from an offense and a player being involved without getting the ball. Colston Loveland was clearly in the second category.
He ran more routes than any other Chicago Bears pass catcher in the opener, the bigger issue was execution.
Caleb Williams missed Loveland on a crossing route that could have turned into a significant gain. Williams also missed him on a red zone opportunity that could have resulted in a touchdown.
Williams acknowledged that after the game.
“There was a few passes that I left out there,” Williams said. “There was one that should have been a touchdown to Colston that I missed. Threw it a little bit too far in front of him.”
That changes the way the game looks. Loveland could have finished the afternoon with a completely different stat line without Chicago changing much of what it was doing offensively.
So yes, zero catches is ugly. The actual usage is much harder to criticize.
Rob Gronkowski sees a much bigger season coming
Rob Gronkowski’s prediction carries some weight, too. The Hall of Fame tight end has seen plenty of great players at the position, and he clearly sees something in Colston Loveland.
Now, the Chicago Bears need to see that talent translate into production. But after one game, there is little reason to panic.
There will be games when Rome Odunze gets more opportunities. There will be games when Luther Burden III becomes a bigger part of the offense. And there will be games when Loveland gets the looks that didn’t come his way Sunday.
The Bears don’t need to force feed him simply to prove he is still important. His route volume already showed where he stands in the offense. The next step is turning that involvement into production.
One bad box score is hardly enough to change the outlook for a player who was heavily involved in a record setting offensive performance. If Williams hits Loveland on even one of those missed opportunities, the conversation around his debut looks completely different.
For now, Bears fans have every reason to wait before worrying about Loveland. The targets should come. And if Gronkowski is right, there could be a lot more of them coming soon.
Bears’ Quiet Colston Loveland Debut Came With a Major Silver Lining