The Chicago Bears haven’t really gotten to see their passing attack at full steam ahead this season. Right before things kicked off, star wide receiver Keenan Allen suffered a heel injury that dogged him through the first game of the year. Chicago chose to shut him down over the next two weeks, hoping the rest would give the injury time to recover. Allen returned to practice in a limited fashion this week. Still, it wasn’t certain he would be able to go against the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday.
Based on the latest injury report, things are looking good. Though declared Questionable for the game, Allen practiced in full on Friday. That is usually a strong indication a player will suit up.
One of the persistent issues for the Bears’ passing attack over the past couple of weeks was their inability to attack over the middle of the field. That was supposed to be Allen’s area. Without him, it fell to Cole Kmet to pick up the slack, which he did quite well in Indianapolis with 97 yards and a touchdown. Getting Allen back into the mix eases the burden on D.J. Moore and Rome Odunze even further. Caleb Williams will have multiple options against a Los Angeles Rams defense that is 29th against the pass this year.
Of course, nothing is guaranteed with this Bears team. They have performed well below expectations on offense. Still, getting a player like Keenan Allen back should only help. His experience and route-running savvy should be especially helpful on 3rd down.
