Long before the season started, Desmond Clark was unhappy about his numbers.
It was not, however, about the quantity of receptions (24) he had in 2004 but the quality.
The veteran tight end averaged a respectable 11.8 yards per catch, but he scored only one touchdown and he wanted more than stats.
“I know the 6-yard catch is important and they add up and can make a difference,” Clark said. “I’m not saying I don’t want to have that job, I just want to have some impact catches.”
Clark had his chances Sunday–four of them–and in every instance had the kind of impact he spent last season craving.
Clark’s first catch was for a 3-yard touchdown on which he fought off a tackle at the goal line just enough to stretch the ball across the plane of the end zone. His second catch was for a first down.
His third was for a 2-yard touchdown in the third quarter that effectively put the game out of reach for the Minnesota Vikings. His fourth was a third-down conversion early in the fourth quarter that sustained the Bears’ third touchdown drive.
“Anytime you play the game, you want to get the ball, and today they called my number and I was able to make plays,” Clark said. “As long as I keep doing that, hopefully, they’ll keep calling my number.”
Clark should plan on that. On his first touchdown, he and wide receiver Muhsin Muhammad were “options 1 and 1-A,” he said. On the second, off of Kyle Orton’s naked bootleg, Clark was the first option all the way.
“Desmond made a great play down by the goal line on the first touchdown,” Orton said. “He has great hands. He really came up big in the red zone.”
For a while late last week, it was uncertain whether Clark even would be on the field let alone in the end zone. He developed symptoms of dizziness and sickness Friday to the point of being listed as questionable on the injury report, and said he still is unsure what he has. He doesn’t care as long as it’s gone by next Sunday for the game with Baltimore.
Bears coaches, who voiced reservations before this season about the play of the entire tight-end group, have plans to keep using Clark in impact situations.
Tight end long has been an overlooked element of the West Coast offense, with its ability to exploit seams particularly in the middle of defenses, and the Bears would like Clark to help elevate the position to its rightful place in the scheme.
“We continue to talk about getting the ball to the tight end,” coach Lovie Smith said. “That’s the plan each week. Some weeks are easier than others. When we threw the ball to Dez, he made the plays.”
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jmullin@tribune.com
