Colston Loveland Poised For Big 2nd Half

Chicago Bears rookie tight end Colston Loveland finally broke out of his shell. Loveland recorded six receptions for 118 yards and two touchdowns throughout the team's thrilling 47-42 Week 9 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals. Momentum should propel him forward.

Starting tight end Cole Kmet exited the contest with a concussion. Loveland took full advantage of the opportunity by leading the Bears in every major receiving category. Even with Kmet slated to return versus the New York Giants in Week 10, Loveland has earned the right to stay heavily involved.

It had previously been tough sledding for Loveland. The former Michigan standout hadn't registered more than three receptions or 38 receiving yards in a single appearance. That's rough considering Loveland was drafted at 10th overall, and No. 14 pick Tyler Warren had grossly been outperforming him.

Head coach Ben Johnson finally got Loveland going against the Bengals. Johnson identified a mismatch opportunity for Loveland's first career touchdown. He's aligned out wide here and is simply too big for Bengals cornerback Cam Taylor-Britt to cover him in the end zone. The big-bodied tight end is physical at the top of his route, helping him create separation.

Loveland later scored the game-winning touchdown in miraculous fashion. The Bears were trailing 42-41 with 25 seconds remaining. Caleb Williams threw a 1st-and-10 seam ball to Loveland, who broke tackles en route to a run-after-catch 58-yard touchdown.

The Bears are beginning to utilize Loveland outside and get him matched up with cornerbacks more frequently. The ex-Wolverines performer ran 15 of his 29 routes aligned out wide, with a 35.7% season-high usage as a boundary player, according to Pro Football Focus' tracking. Loveland played more snaps outside (15) than he did in-line (14).

Several of Loveland's advanced metrics were promising. The 2023 National Championship winner had an average of 3.47 yards per route run, the second-highest single-game mark of his rookie season. Loveland's average depth of target (aDOT) was 10.9 on seven targets, meaning Williams was consistently targeting him past the sticks.

Loveland was creating separation against those Bengals defensive backs. He averaged 3.26 yards of separation per target, according to Next Gen Stats. That's above the league-average mark for pass catchers of 2.98. Loveland has also been incredibly sure-handed. He hasn't been credited with a drop this campaign.

The Bears scored a season-high 47 points and their offense was most dangerous and efficient when Loveland was involved. Loveland's EPA (Expected Points Added) was a team-high 10.5 (1.31 per play), per RBSDM. Johnson's unit was constantly making forward progress once the rookie playmaker replaced Kmet in the lineup.

Loveland had previously been competing for reps behind Kmet. An early-game concussion to the veteran led to new opportunities for the first-year tight end. Loveland took complete advantage, establishing himself as a legitimate weapon in the passing offense. The Bears have no excuse not to ensure he remains involved moving forward.