Bears’ Knox more than motivated to win job back
Maybe the Bears tried to motivate the wrong guy when they demoted Johnny Knox, last season’s leading receiver, and handed his job to Roy Williams.
Williams has been a disappointment on the field, and his conditioning and desire have been questioned.
Knox eventually could win back his job. If it were based solely on production, he’d already have moved past Williams, who has yet to catch a pass.
Knox, meanwhile, has 3 catches for 32 yards and has returned 4 kickoffs for 157 yards (39.3-yard average) and 4 punts for 31 yards (7.8-yard average).
“I understand Roy’s got some things to do as far as getting himself in shape, but that’s not my fault and that’s not my concern,” said wide receivers coach Darryl Drake, who was Williams’ position coach at the University of Texas.
“My concern is making sure that when we play Atlanta (in the Sept. 11 season opener), we’ve got the guys out there who are going to give us the best chance to win. If Johnny Knox is that guy, then he needs to be out there.”
Last season, just his second in the league, Knox led the Bears with 960 receiving yards and tied for the team lead with 51 receptions.
His 18.8-yards-per-catch average was fifth best in the NFL. But, in an effort to get Knox to work harder and have a greater sense of urgency, he was dropped to backup status.
“Johnny’s really going to be a good player,” offensive coordinator Mike Martz said, ignoring the fact that Knox already is a good player.
“Johnny’s practicing and played better than he has since I’ve been here. You have to understand; Johnny’s from a very small college (Div. II Abilene Christian), and his time as a wide receiver is somewhat limited.
“He’s still growing. He’s still learning this game at this level, and he’s done a great job. Of all the receivers, he might have made the most improvement here in camp.”
So, while Williams has failed to take advantage of his opportunity and lock up the job, Knox has responded the way coaches had hoped.
Now, maybe it’s time to motivate Williams.
While Knox was unhappy about his demotion, he agrees that it may have had the desired effect on his practice habits and preparation.
“It’s just my attention to detail and being where I’m supposed to be,” he said of his improvement. “I listen to the play-call a little better and I’m adjusting to the offense. Plus, it’s my second year in the same offense, so I’m playing with a lot more confidence.”
A strong showing by Knox in Saturday’s third preseason clash (at Tennessee) — or another unimpressive effort by Williams — could see the depth chart flip-flopped.
“The bottom line is being productive and doing what you’re supposed to do,” Drake said. “I know a lot has been made about Johnny not being (with the ones), but this has helped Johnny become a better student of the game.
“Johnny has improved tremendously. I’m very proud of what he’s done. He needs to continue to do that because there were some things that he needed to do.
“As long as he continues to do those things and make the strides that he’s making, he’s going to be fine.”
Miffed initially, Knox has dealt with the situation but refused to accept it as final.
“Anytime you’re starting, you don’t want to lose that position,” he said. “It did motivate me, it did push me harder and even if I do get that job back it’s still going to keep me working harder because I know Roy’s not going to make it easy for me, and I’m not going to make it easy for him.”
It wouldn’t be a great surprise to see Knox back with the starters soon.
“Roy understands that Johnny’s there,” Drake said. “And Johnny’s hungry, and Johnny wants his spot back.
“And if things don’t start changing, then Johnny’s going to be in there. You heard it straight from the horse’s mouth.”
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