Send out a search party for Bears WRs
Bears wide receivers have had a problem recently with shrinking production.
Not once in the past three games - 2 of them losses - has the unit scored a touchdown or combined for more than 70 yards.
In each of the six previous games - 4 of them wins - the Bears got at least 1 touchdown from a wide receiver, and the group combined for over 100 yards each week, averaging 145 yards per game.
"We need to play better in the passing game, especially in the second half (last week), we didn't play all that well," quarterback Kyle Orton said. "We just have to come back and have a great week of practice and we'll get back on track."
Rashied Davis has exactly 1 catch in each of the past three games. Marty Booker hasn't caught a pass since Oct. 19. Devin Hester has 10 receptions in the past three weeks but for just 118 yards. Brandon Lloyd has 3 catches for 20 yards in the two weeks since he returned from a sprained knee.
Offensive coordinator Ron Turner was asked if opponents have focused on taking the wide receivers out of the equation lately or if the Bears had made an effort to spread the ball around.
"Probably a combination of both," Turner said. "The way Green Bay plays and played us, they basically had press coverage on them with safeties over the top, so we knew we were going to have to go to our tight ends and backs more than we had been. We never really got in sync, we didn't get first downs and get going. So part of it's what they did, and part of it's our execution."
Orton thinks the problem can be solved with more attention to detail.
"I can't really point at one thing, just lack of execution," he said. "It's shown all year that when we execute and do the right things and do our job, we score points, and we have to get back to it."
And in a hurry, since almost nobody runs well on the Vikings, Sunday night's opponent in the Metrodome. Minnesota's stout front four is anchored by twin terrors Kevin Williams and Pat Williams, who are the main reasons the Vikings are No. 2 in rushing defense in the NFL. But opponents have been successful throwing against the Vikings, who are 22nd in passing yards allowed and 25th in interceptions but sixth in sack percentage.
Orton threw for 283 yards and 2 touchdowns in the 48-41 victory over the Vikings at Soldier Field with a passer rating of 114.5, the second highest of his career. Orton isn't expecting another offensive shootout, but he wouldn't hate it.
"I don't see it going that way," he said, "but if it does, we'll be ready to go and hopefully we can score a lot of points."
To do so they'll need to throw the ball effectively. The Vikings have held eight of 11 opponents to less than 80 yards on the ground, including the Bears, who struggled for just 53 yards on 22 attempts in the first meeting.
Conversely, four of the Vikings' last five opponents have thrown for more than 250 yards, including the Bears when wide receivers caught 8 passes for 125 yards, including Booker's 51-yard TD. Tight ends Greg Olsen and Desmond Clark combined for 9 catches and 133 yards in that game. But that was five weeks ago.
"The precision hasn't been there the last couple of weeks," Turner said. "We've got to get that back."
Poor production
The Bears' receiving corps has struggled the past three games. Here's a look at the combined numbers of the WRs in each game:
Opp., score rec. yds. TD
Colts, 29-13 7 50 0
Panthers, 17-20 10 87 0
Bucs, 24-27 9 161 1
Eagles, 24-20 7 117 2
Lions, 34-7 13 200 1
Falcons, 20-22 13 161 1
Vikings, 48-41 8 125 1
Lions, 27-23 9 106 1
Titans, 14-21 5 69 0
Packers, 3-37 4 60 0
Rams, 27-3 7 70 0
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