Bears Blitz

Published by Bear Heiser on September 23, 2014
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Chicago Bears

The chip that currently sits on the shoulder of tight end Martellus Bennett has been very valuable to the Chicago Bears in 2014.

Bennett, now in his second season with the Bears, doesn’t like being the forgotten man in their offense. No, Bennett doesn’t think his own team has forgotten about him; he thinks the league doesn’t value him as a tight end.

All the self-proclaimed “Black Unicorn” wants is to be on the radar of the opposition when game-planning for the Bears.

Now, you’d think that as a pass-catcher who’s stuck battling for catches with Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffery, Bennett wouldn’t mind flying under the radar. 

Flying under the radar is essentially what led to Bennett being on the receiving end of two Jay Cutler touchdown passes on five catches for 54 yards in Monday night’s 27-19 win over the New York Jets. The opposition spends so much time making sure Marshall and Jeffery don’t get in position to make big, game-changing plays that Bennett is on the receiving end of some very beatable matchups when the ball is snapped.

“Today I felt a little disrespected,” Bennett told reporters after the game:

We [the Bears] played a highlight video, and in the highlight video, Rex [Ryan] is talking about [how the Bears] have monsters on the outside with [receivers] Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffery and he was like, ‘Oh, yeah, the tight end is a big dude.’

I feel like when he talks about me he should talk about me with enthusiasm as well. He was just kind of monotone when he mentioned me. I was kind of [upset] about that. I feel like when somebody talks about me they should use some enthusiasm.

Despite Bennett’s wish to be respected, Cutler and the Bears likely don’t mind the status quo. The “big dude,” as Ryan called him, leads the team in catches (20) and first downs (21) and is tied with Marshall for most targets (26) and touchdowns (4), according to ESPN Stats & Research.

From a league perspective on tight ends, Bennett ranks second in receptions, third in targets, ninth in receiving yards, second in touchdowns and second in missed tackles. And he’s Cutler’s fourth offensive option.

“Right now I feel I’m very intelligent on the field,” Bennett added. “…The game is getting a lot easier. I know the offense better. I know what Jay wants.”

Knowing “what Jay wants” seems to go a long way in the Bears’ offense. Marshall has made a living off it in Chicago, leading the team in catches each of the last three seasons.

The trust Cutler has in Bennett is evident, especially in the red zone. On Bennett’s first touchdown against the Jets, Cutler scrambled free of a few tackles to find Bennett double-covered in the back of the end zone. It was just two guys who didn’t give up when the play broke down.

The second touchdown likely was a product of what Bennett feels is disrespect. Cutler found Bennett wide-open after the Jets’ blew a coverage.

When asked about the touchdown after the game, Bennett answered, “I think they just misread it. I was going to be open either way, the throw would have just been different. Me and Alshon ran a switch release and [both defensive backs] went with him. It was a mistake by the defense and I was wide-open.”

Even though Bennett’s receiving yards aren’t astronomical for his position, he’s doing something almost as important: making first downs. Bennett makes his money 0-9 yards from the line of scrimmage. Fifteen of his 20 receptions and eight of his 11 first downs have come in this zone, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required).

Against the Jets, Cutler hit Bennett with a swing pass along the line of scrimmage, and the tight end then broke two tackles and turned what looked to be a minimal gain into nine yards.

On another play, Bennett broke free of his Jets linebacker, and Cutler found him for a 16-yard gain over the middle. It looked like Bennett, who blocked and released after the ball was snapped, was Cutler’s first post-snap read. The first read is the first read because he’s supposed to win his matchup, and that’s what Bennett has been doing all season.

“I feel like my teammates are great, but you have to respect my game as well,” Bennett said after the Jets game:

I’m not just a spare tire that you throw on a car. My tread is just like the other tires. I’m rolling just like them. I just feel like it’s a little lack of respect for me as a tight end in the NFL. They always talk about these other guys all around the league, so it’s kind of like a chip on my shoulder when I go out there and play because they never really mention me. But that’s how it is sometimes. A lot of people who are geniuses, they really didn‘t realize it until they were dead.

If Bennett sees himself as some sort of tight end genius, then more power to him. If that mindset is what keeps him level, his emotions in check, then he should keep on keepin’ on.

Let us remember back in training camp when the Bears sent Bennett away from the team after he got into a practice scrap with rookie cornerback Kyle Fuller. It was an odd situation at the time. The Bears didn’t really want to speak publicly about it, either.

Bennett quickly bounced back mentally throughout the remainder of camp and opened the season with two touchdowns against the Bills.

Marc Trestman’s game plan has always had a spot for Bennett. He was third on the team in receptions and touchdowns in 2013. That’s likely as good as it’s going to get for a tight end in an offense with Marshall and Jeffery. Bennett will be OK with it, disrespect or not.

With Marshall battling a tough ankle injury, Bennett will likely get more respect in the next few weeks. Can he capitalize when the opposition is scouting his every move? Now’s the time for it, because Marshall will get healthy and Marquess Wilson will be back from his broken clavicle before we know it.

Bennett will have another winnable matchup next week against the Green Bay Packers. If Bennett consistently wins, so should the Bears.

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