NEWSLETTER
Throughout the period leading up to the NFL’s open free agency, we had our eyes on the possibility of the Chicago Bears signing free agent receiver Allen Robinson. And as it turns out, Robinson had his eyes on signing with the Bears, too.
During a recent edition of “Big Guys in a Benz” where Bears players ride along for an interview with former defensive lineman Anthony Adams, Robinson dished on his experience in free agency and expressed what his priorities were heading into the process: “Believe it or not, the Bears were No. 1 on my list,” Robinson said. “Especially once they hired Coach Nagy, I’ve been watching his work over the last couple of years and I know it’s a system I would definitely fit into and flourish. For me, that was the No. 1 priority.”
With that as our backdrop, this is very likely what Robinson was envisioning when he signed a lucrative free agent deal to sign with the Bears:
https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1061746274200903683
Robinson is now one of 10 Bears to have at least six catches, 133 receiving yards, and two touchdowns in a game since the AFL-NFL merger in 1970. We’re talking about 48 years of football, folks. And while it’s not as if Bears history is littered with legendary pass-catchers, but it’s still an impressive showing for one of the team’s most important free agent acquisitions.
An 80-catch, 1,400-yard, 14-touchdown season for Robinson with the Jaguars in 2015 put him on the map and the potential he showed off in that season made him a tantalizing free agent target. Now that he’s in Chicago, we’re starting to see why he was successful in Jacksonville. Because while the catches and yards matter at the end of the day, Robinson’s numbers come as a result of good process.
To be clear, it all starts with excellent route-running:
#Bears — WR Allen Robinson posted 133 yards receiving and two TDs against the #Lions…Check the footwork here on the slant route. Shake the coverage, separate and win the 1-on-1. @NFLMatchup pic.twitter.com/KGvbfnNODL
— Matt Bowen (@MattBowen41) November 12, 2018
When you run good slant routes and your quarterback throws an accurate ball, defenses have to respect it and defenders have to account for the possibility of you trying to beat them with the same route until it’s proven it can be stopped. But from there, it sets up opportunities to go deep.
After Robinson caught a 35-yard pass on a slant route to set up the Bears’ first score, Lions cornerback DeShawn Shead had to respect the threat of another quick, inside route. That’s when Robinson did this:
Look at this release from Allen Robinson. pic.twitter.com/0zV6GVB3R2
— Marcus Mosher (@Marcus_Mosher) November 12, 2018
Poor, defenseless cornerback. As you can see, Shead wants to jump an inside route, but Robinson rocks him to sleep, crosses him up, and beats him down-field on a deep pattern. There was no gadgetry, misdirection, or blazing speed on display here. Nothing but great footwork, sharp route-running, and a ball thrown well enough to allow Robinson to make a play on it. Well done all around, gents.
Robinson was dreaming on Mitch Trubisky’s upside when he signed with the Bears … and weren’t we all? And after a slow start, Trubisky has started to pick up his production. The more Trubisky has been asked to do within the offense, the more he has been able to show off his athleticism, arm talent, and play-making ability. And even though Robinson isn’t on pace for a 1,000-yard receiving season, his mere presence on the field makes the entire passing game better.
Check this out: Trubisky has completed 71.2 percent of his passes, averaged 8.5 yards per attempt, posted a 3.5-to-1 TD-INT ratio, and put up a 112.4 passer rating in the six games in which Robinson has been healthy and a full participant. In the games where Robinson was out or limited because of an injury, those numbers fall back to a 54.6 completion percentage, 1.6-to-1 TD-INT ratio, and an 80.7 passer rating.
Much has been made about the Bears’ decision to hold out star pass-rusher Khalil Mack while he nursed his ankle injury. As fate would have it, the right decision was made as a well-rested Mack completely destroyed Detroit. The same logic can be applied to Robinson, who looked fresh and agile after two weeks of resting a groin injury.
Now comes the hard part, doing it again and again as the Bears come down the stretch with some big games on their schedule. Chicago signed Robinson to be their big play receiver and someone Trubisky can lean on in tough times. After a 6-3 start, it looks like there will be plenty of big plays to be made between now and the end of the season. And you can be certain Robinson will be on the receiving end of his fair share.
