Now that we are a few days removed from Sunday’s disheartening loss to the Patriots, I feel like it’s a good time to pull out some of the good things that happened for the Bears. Most notably, Trey Burton’s scene-stealing performance as the game’s leading receiver.
Here is what Burton’s day looked like in its full-blown graphical glory:
Despite the loss, @TreyBurton8 filled up the stat sheet! #HaveADay pic.twitter.com/l71riZ9b8V
— NFL (@NFL) October 21, 2018
Burton set career-highs in the following categories: targets (11), catches (9), receiving yards (126). And, yes, you read that correctly. That big-time performance on Sunday wasn’t just a season-best for Burton, it was essentially a coming-out party for a player who came into the year facing the sort of heightened expectations that tend to follow big-money contracts.
Tight ends are often viewed as security blankets, especially for young quarterbacks who can struggle to find the touch deep down the sidelines. But putting Burton in that box would be unfair (and, frankly, wrong). Burton caught eight passes that went for 10+ yards, seven of which went for first downs and the other resulted in a touchdown. Two of Burton’s big play grabs went for 20+ yards, representing the rare occasions in which Mitch Trubisky was able to stretch the field vertically.
While it’s on our mind, let’s take a moment to check out Burton’s touchdown reception:
The #Bears line in a 3×1 formation with the TE Trey Burton out wide at the bottom running a deep out route. This creating a TE v DB matchup #DaBears #NEvsCHI pic.twitter.com/VuWSHyz3mQ
— Joel Bishop (@JoelBishopFB) October 21, 2018
You could look at the raw numbers from Travis Kelce or Zach Ertz and see where Matt Nagy’s offense was going to be friendly for tight ends, but you don’t truly realize it until you see it play out with personnel packages, formations, and route trees. The play above is a well-designed concept that creates a mismatch that both Trubisky and Burton are able to exploit.
From a fantasy perspective, Burton was a monster and I hope you were able to start him and Trubisky together:
Trey Burton has touchdowns in 4 of 6 games this year, and added more than 100 yards Sunday. pic.twitter.com/X3cNSsUn0j
— PFF Fantasy Football (@PFF_Fantasy) October 22, 2018
I can’t guarantee Burton will snag nine catches and 100 receiving yards weekly from here on out, but his hands and route-running ability coupled with Nagy’s scheme along with Trubisky’s confidence in his tight end should lead to more positive gains. And hopefully, more posts highlighting his excellence over the duration of his time in Chicago.