Keenan Allen Returns to Practice
Keenan Allen practiced for the first time on Wednesday in more than two weeks, following a rest period dedicated to healing his heel. Some fans and bloggers quickly threw Allen under the bus because head coach Matt Eberflus indicated the wide receiver also had some personal matters to attend to. That’s the nature of Bears fans these days, one of the more polarizing NFL fanbases. The keyword is “also” for those who need to turn nothing into something.
Keenan Allen back at practice for the first time in two weeks. He was limited. pic.twitter.com/5xwV8xTidj
— Courtney Cronin (@CourtneyRCronin) September 25, 2024
It’s uncertain whether the star receiver will play in Sunday’s home game against the Rams, but Eberflus said the team will monitor his progress throughout the week. If all goes well, Allen could start opposite D.J. Moore and Rome Odunze.
“He’s another weapon that we have available to us on the offense with a unique set of skills as you know,” Eberflus said Wednesday. “We’ve all seen him play. So we’re excited if that comes about that he comes back.”
“Now you don’t just have two people out there,” Moore added. “You’ve got three that you’ve got to worry about. And you can’t just shade it to one side or one person. With Keenan back in the mix, you’ve got to play the whole field.”
The Bears desperately needed Allen during Sunday’s loss to the Colts in Indianapolis. The veteran is one of the NFL’s best at breaking free on quickly developing routes. Because of Chicago’s inconsistencies in protecting Caleb Williams, Allen provides a safety of sorts when Williams’s pocket collapses too soon.
The 12-year veteran is rejoining a unit that is just starting to hit its stride. Say what you want about Williams, but Odunze and Cole Kmet had their best games of the season. Odunze had six catches for 112 yards and his first NFL touchdown while Kmet tallied 97 yards on 10 receptions. Moore added 78 yards through the air.
Having the entire receivers group healthy provides more opportunities to score, but the Bears need to find a way to get their running game untracked. Chicago is last in the NFL in rushing yards, and things are so bad that Williams finished with 52 passing attempts against Indianapolis.
“I was like, ‘If I’ve got to throw the ball 50 times, I’ve got to throw the ball 50 times,’” Williams said. “But if we’re in a flow, we’re running the ball, we’re getting four yards a pop on the play, let’s keep handing the ball off to our running backs and let them be special. So like I said on Sunday after the game, whatever it takes to win the game is what I’m going to do and what I’m happy to do.”
The rookie quarterback threw for 363 yards in Week 3, the most by a Bears quarterback since 2016 when Brian Hoyer threw for 397 yards, also in a loss in Indianapolis. Williams passed for 213 yards in the first half alone, the most by a Bears rookie in the first half since at least 1978. he was also 14-of-18 in the 4th quarter before being strip-sacked by Laiatu Latu with the Bears down by one score midway through the stanza.
“I think we’re constantly getting better,” Williams said. “We’re going to be better. We’re excited for this week. We go against the L.A. Rams [in] our hometown. I know everybody’s going to be happy and rowdy to be there.”
The Bears need a win. It will be nice to get Allen back if he can play.
