Even before Sunday night’s game, David Terrell acknowledged one of the subplots of this meeting between two 1-5 teams.
“We have to do more for the quarterback,” the Bears receiver said.
Sunday night the wide receivers did a little something for rookie Craig Krenzel in his first start. And because they did, rookie Bernard Berrian will be updating his shoe collection.
Berrian scored the offense’s only touchdown in the Bears’ 23-13 victory over San Francisco, catching a 49-yard pass down the left sideline from Krenzel to give the Bears a 7-0 lead.
Until Sunday night, the Bears had been the only team not to get a touchdown from a receiver. The Bears’ receiver corps was so upset that they had not scored a touchdown, they made a pact–the first one to score would get a pair of shoes from each of the others.
“He can get Jordans, dress or whatever he wants,” said Bobby Wade, who had three catches for 33 yards.
When Berrian crossed the goal line, the whole group exhaled.
“Took long enough,” Berrian said. “Seven weeks.
“I was just hoping the ball was going to come my way. We worked on it all week in practice and landed on it three times. I was just glad we could hook up on it in the game.”
Berrian, a third-round pick from Fresno State, had not been a factor until Sunday.
“It’s been frustrating, but it’s part of the game.” he said. “Can’t cry about it. You have to wait your turn.
“It’s been a struggle, it’s been hard for us to get in the end zone this year. I don’t know why, but it’s been real hard. We were finally able to do it.”
It wasn’t a huge night for wide receivers, as they combined for just five catches. Whether one game-turning play can ignite the group for the rest of the season remains questionable for a unit that more than any other has missed Rex Grossman.
But they haven’t been getting open consistently or making enough plays, and there were some problems Sunday despite Berrian’s heroics.
With the Bears facing third-and-7 from the San Francisco 35, Krenzel delivered a catchable ball to Terrell for a first down.
As happens too often, Terrell couldn’t come up with the ball, and Paul Edinger bailed him out with a 52-yard field goal that tied the score 10-10.
Facing third-and-6 from the Bears’ 46 in the second quarter, Wade couldn’t come up with a Krenzel pass that was a bit high, but catchable. The 49ers took over and kicked a field goal to take a 13-10 lead.
With the Bears trying to launch a late first-half drive, Wade caught a pass for 14 yards and a first down at the Bears’ 34. But he was called for pass interference, effectively killing the drive.
This was a night when the Bears had a chance to do a little something in the passing game. True, they started a rookie quarterback, but both of San Francisco’s starting cornerbacks, Mike Rumph and Ahmed Plummer, were injured.
Berrian’s touchdown marked something of a coming-out party. He had only four catches in the first six games.
It’s too early to pass judgment on Berrian’s potential, but not too soon to say that Terrell is not going to become the bell cow of the receiver corps that Marty Booker was. And Wade’s ideal role is as a third-down receiver. Justin Gage has shown potential as a deep threat, but that’s all.
Unless Marc Colombo can’t make a comeback to take over at left tackle, the Bears’ biggest personnel needs are at wide receiver.
How did it come to this? The Bears never figured they’d have to give up Booker to get pass rusher Adewale Ogunleye. And if receiver David Boston, one of the Dolphins’ key free-agent signings, hadn’t been injured over the summer, the Dolphins might not have demanded Booker, who left town as the Bears’ No. 4 all-time receiver with 315 catches.
So unlike the quarterback debacle, when the Bears decided to count on Jonathan Quinn as their No. 2, this one wasn’t planned.
Wouldn’t Dez White look decent in a Bears uniform now? Remember, Terrell couldn’t beat him out last season. Booker was still in town when the Bears let White leave for Atlanta as a free agent.
What does the future hold for a position that has traditionally taken a back seat to running back in the Bears’ offense?
Barring a sudden turnaround, the Bears will be drafting in the top 10 next spring, and two big names loom large. Southern Cal’s Mike Williams, who tried to enter the draft last year but was eventually struck down by the courts and couldn’t regain is eligibility, will be a high pick.
After taking a year off, he’ll have to prove something to scouts in off-season workouts. But 6-foot-4 1/2-inch receivers with his skills are hard to find.
Michigan’s Braylon Edwards appears to have made the right decision to return to Ann Arbor for his senior season.
