Davis finally catching on with Bears' passing game

Rashied Davis knew there would be a void to fill in the Bears' passing game this year with the departure of Bernard Berrian and Muhsin Muhammad.

Knowing the team's top two pass catchers in 2006 and '07 would be playing elsewhere provided Davis with more motivation to step up his own game.

"With everything being more wide open, and knowing that somebody would have to step in and make plays and pick up where Bernard and Moose left off probably has helped," said Davis, who came to camp with more muscle on his 5-foot-9, 187-pound frame than ever before. "I came in a lot more focused and determined because I want to win.

"I was told by a couple of the players that I need to be one of the leaders in the receiver room, so that's where my focus kind of changed," Davis explained. "If I don't know where I'm going, how the (heck) am I going to help somebody else? I know the offense really well. I studied it. I study it all the time. I care about my job. Also, I want to win, period. I hate losing, so last year was horrible."

Davis was essentially an afterthought in the passing game the previous two seasons. He caught 22 passes for 303 yards in 2006 and 17 passes for 165 yards last year, when the Bears slumped to 7-9. Davis found other ways to contribute, though, leading the team in kickoff returns in 2006 and finishing fifth in special-teams tackles in '07.

Although Davis has been a Chicago Bear since 2005, he's only in his third season as an NFL receiver after playing cornerback as a Bears rookie. In 2005, before he joined the Bears, he was the Arena Football League offensive player of the year after scoring 44 touchdowns.

His conversion to offense appears complete after his 2-touchdown game in Thursday night's 37-30 preseason loss to the 49ers at Soldier Field. Davis finished the game with 4 catches for 58 yards.

Davis missed the Bears' second preseason game five days earlier to witness the birth of his daughter Alanna. He's now tied for the team lead with 5 preseason catches and 2 TD's and second with 69 receiving yards.

Davis caught TD passes of 21 and 7 yards from Kyle Orton, but he could have had a third score just before halftime when he failed to hold on to what would have been a 6-yard TD pass from Orton.

"I should've caught that third one, but I didn't," Davis said. "For some reason, it's easier to remember the ones that you're not successful on rather than the ones you are, at least for me. Good thing I had the two before."

The Bears' receiving corps remains a crowded and clouded picture, but Davis has demonstrated that he deserves a significant role.

"He made all the plays," coach Lovie Smith said after the 49ers' game. "He had an outstanding camp to start with. He just became a new dad, so a lot of outstanding things are happening in his life. It's good to see a guy come up big like that."

Orton, of course, hasn't had much time to develop a special rapport with any of his receivers. Even though it appeared he and Davis were in sync Thursday night, the receiver downplayed that notion.

"People call it chemistry, but I don't know," Davis said. "I run my routes and get open. That's it. If he throws it to me, I catch it - hopefully."

• Linebacker Rod Wilson (fractured forearm), who was hurt Thursday night, was waived/injured Friday. If he clears waivers, he's expected to be re-signed by the Bears and placed on injured reserve.

<div class="infoBox"> <h1>More Coverage</h1> <div class="infoBoxContent"> <div class="infoArea"> <h2>Stories</h2> <ul class="links"> <li><a href="http://blogs.dailyherald.com/node/406">Bear Essentials blog: Training camp stars fade <span class="date">[08/22/08]</span></a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div>