The Chicago Bears will travel to London this weekend to play the Raiders without wide receiver Taylor Gabriel. Gabriel will miss his second consecutive game with a concussion. Second-year receiver Javon Wims stepped up last week in his absence and could be the spark the Bears’ passing game needs going forward.
Against the Minnesota Vikings last week, Wims caught four passes for 56 yards. He made the biggest offensive play of the game hauling in a 37-yard pass from quarterback Chase Daniel, which also is the Bears longest pass play of the season so far.
The reason why Wims helps the Bears passing game so much is that he is the best type of player that compliments wide receiver, Allen Robinson. He is the most skilled receiver on the team who’s body frame matches that of Robinson. Wims is 6’4, 215 pounds and uses his size to win battles against opposing cornerbacks. Although Gabriel and Anthony Miller may be quicker, they can’t fight for contested passes due to their small stature.
Wims has been the most active receiver in the team’s pre-season the last two seasons for the Bears. He has shown the ability to line up on the outside and in the slot. Wims also has shown that he can catch short, intermediate, and deep passes. His route running and catching radius is similar to that of former Bears receiver Marty Booker. Booker was a Pro-Bowler in 2002 and could catch any type of pass both on the inside and outside.
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In his NFL debut in the Hall of Fame Game against the Ravens in 2018, Wims caught passes on many different routes. He finished the game with seven catches for 89 yards.
In his first and only game during the regular season, he caught four passes for 37 yards in the season finale against the Minnesota Vikings. The performance was impressive because he did it against a Vikings pass defense that was ranked third in the league. In a must-win game for the Vikings, two of Wims’ four catches helped the Bears convert on third downs leading to a touchdown in a 24-10 victory for Chicago.
Gabriel and Miller split time in 2018 playing on the other side from Robinson. There were times where they thrived, but also times where they struggled to gain separation and the Bears passing attack was limited. What hindered them was their size, as unless they had separation, quarterback Mitchell Trubisky couldn’t trust them to win a 50/50 ball. Wims is able to do that and has demonstrated that skill in both preseason and regular-season games.
Wims being able to play outside benefits all of the Bears receivers as Robinson has is less likely to see a double coverage if the second-year receiver produces. Miller and Gabriel are able to play in the slot where they are able to better utilize their speed to gain separation in the middle of the field. Whether Trubisky or Chase Daniel are throwing passes, the offense is in a better place when Wims is involved.
