After shaking off the rust in 26 snaps against the Broncos last week, Bears tight end Trey Burton expects to be better Monday night against the Redskins.
“A lot better,” he said. “The whole [Broncos] game was rusty. I didn’t play very well personally. But I’m excited to get back out there.”
The sooner Burton returns to full speed following a groin injury the better for the Bears offense, which is trying to snap out of an early season funk. In back-to-back clunkers against the Packers and Broncos, the Bears scored one touchdown and have yet to physically put the ball in the end zone.
“We’re so close,” quarterback Mitch Trubisky said.
That’s a common theme in the NFL. Every struggling offense thinks its close to breaking the dam if players would just execute. The Bears’ belief is backed by history — this offense ranked 11th in the NFL in points scored last season. But besides the generic, cliche’ solution — better execution — Burton’s return to form is a legitimate point of optimism. This offense just operates better with a quality, productive tight end. And only Burton can provide that on the Bears.
“A big thing in this league, it all comes down to health,” Trubisky said. “If he’s getting better and better, I see him to be more of a focal point of this offense and a huge part of this offense — either getting the ball or opening up other guys. He definitely does a great job helping other guys get set and allowing us to play great team football.”
Burton’s understanding of Nagy’s offense, his knack for the nuances of it and his versatility as a blocker/receiver make a difference. Even in a rusty performance in which he caught two passes for five yards, Burton had a key block on Cordarelle Patterson’s 46-yard run against the Broncos last week. But it’s more than receiving and blocking — Burton makes the Bears offense better just by being in the huddle.
“He’s just got that calmness about him that guys really get going or are motivated when he’s in the game,” Trubisky said. “So the more we can get him involved and get him in the game, it just helps get guys lined up. Guys seem to play better because the defense has to take notice that Trey is in the game. I think it just opens up more one-on-one things. And he gets open for me.”
That obviously helps. Burton had 54 receptions for 569 yards and six touchdowns last season. He had nine receptions for 126 yards and a touchdown in a 37-31 loss to the Patriots last season. But when Burton missed the Bears’ wild-card playoff game against the Eagles because of a groin injury, the Bears’ offense struggled against an Eagles defense that ranked 23rd in the NFL in a 16-15 loss at Soldier Field.
Asked how a healthy Burton helps the offense, Matt Nagy pointed to the “veteran, calming presence that he has in the huddle.” Perhaps Nagy just didn’t want to give up any offensive/schematic information, but he sold the point well.
“Trey’s personality as a veteran that’s been on a big stage before … it’s just nice to have a guy that’s been in those roles,” Nagy said. “So he can come in and he can keep guys going and I think when you have that presence and you know who Trey is a person, he brings that off-the-field personality into the huddle.”
It’s hard to tell if Burton’s calmness or his ability to get open and catch a football is what the Bears need most. Probably both at this point.
“We’ll get it figured out,” Burton said. “None of us are panicking by any means.”
