Kalif Raymond Could Have a Bigger Role in the Bears’ Passing Game Than Expected
The Chicago Bears had an offensive explosion in their Week 1 victory over the Carolina Panthers. Chicago scored 59 points and accumulated 552 yards of total offense.
Despite the entire offense clicking, there was one player who had a surprisingly good game. Veteran wideout Kalif Raymond led the Bears in catches and targets, showcasing that he may be a bigger part of this offense than many expected.
The Bears Unexpectedly Showcased Kalif Raymond
Raymond ended Chicago's Week 1 matchup with eight receptions on nine targets for 84 yards. That's one more reception than Luther Burden and Rome Odunze had combined (7). Although he is a veteran, Raymond having more catches than Odunze and Burden is shocking, given he's the WR3.
Raymond's biggest contributions during the game came on third down. The 32-year-old had five catches on third down, with four of them being third-down conversions. His conversions went for 28 yards, 12 yards, 9 yards, and 7 yards.
His ability to give Caleb Williams an outlet to go to on third down was a big factor for Chicago. This is especially true since the Panthers took tight end Colston Loveland out of the game. Loveland was only targeted once the entire game.
Raymond showing he can be a reliable third-down option is a big deal for the Bears. If other teams key in on Loveland like the Panthers did, the Bears don't have to panic. Raymond showing he has chemistry with Williams early on should only give Bears fans more confidence.
Could Raymond Have a Career Year?
Moreover, Raymond's outing put him on pace to have the best season of his career. In his best season, he caught 47 passes on 64 targets for 616 yards. The number of passes he caught in Week 1 already put him one-sixth of the way to reaching his career high.
That's not to say he will reach that mark, but it's not impossible. If Raymond continues playing like this, then we will see the lion's share of the WR3 snaps all season.
Of course, one game does not guarantee that Raymond will maintain this level of production. The Bears have several talented receivers who will continue to receive opportunities, and defenses will have more film to study after seeing how Ben Johnson used his offensive weapons in Week 1.
However, Raymond has already shown that he can make an impact when his number is called.
Raymond Could Be an Important Piece for Chicago
Many probably weren't expecting Raymond to come out of Week 1 as the Bears' leading receiver. Instead, fans thought that Burden, Odunze, or Loveland would lead Chicago in targets and receptions after one game.
Though Raymond came away leading the team in targets, receptions, and yards, it may look bad on paper, but it's really not all that bad. It shows how confident Williams is in all of his receivers and how deep the Bears really are at the position.
If Raymond starts leading the team every week in these stats, that's when it becomes a problem. That's unlikely to happen, though, so Bears fans should be thrilled that Chicago found a veteran WR3 who can still put together good games.
More importantly, Raymond showed that he can be a reliable option for Williams on third down. If he can continue making those plays throughout the season, his Week 1 performance could end up being an early sign that he has a bigger role in this offense than many expected.
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