It wasn’t a road many expected the Chicago Bay to traverse in the first season under head coach Ben Johnson. But a spectacular turnaround has paved the way for them to be hosting a Divisional Round matchup against the Los Angeles Rams, where it is impossible to completely count them out.
However, facing one of the most complete teams in the league, the game won’t be easy in any way. As a result, the start of the matchup has become an even bigger indictment of star wide receiver Rome Odunze, who has failed to make a major impact in recent weeks.
What Happened to Rome Odunze?
A first-round pick for the Bears last season, Odunze had a subpar rookie campaign but was projected to be the leading wide receiver on the team this season. To start the year, he showed incredible promise in that role.
Through the first seven games of the season, he was already up to 473 receiving yards and five touchdowns. However, since then, he hasn’t produced at nearly the same level, as he’s fallen to 39 on PFSN’s WR Impact.
Then, an injury forced him to miss the last month of action before he made his return in the Wild Card round, albeit still not completely healthy. It showed in his play: he managed just two receptions for 44 yards, but that included the legendary 4th-and-8 completion from Caleb Williams.
The hope was that with his legs under him, he could be a bigger factor against the Rams. However, the first half hadn’t followed that script. With a chance to score an easy touchdown on the opening drive, Odunze completely whiffed on the pass near the end zone.
Instead, an ensuing interception ended the possession in disaster for Chicago, as they walked away empty-handed. Since then, too, he hasn’t been able to make an impact in the game, despite two targets coming his way.
Before the half was over, though, he finally made his presence felt. On the final Bears drive of the first half, the home team went big-play hunting. From 1st-and-10 at the Chicago 38-yard line, Williams threw a dime to Odunze, who caught it for a 27-yard completion.
While the drive did not go much further after that, it resulted in a 49-yard field goal from Cairo Santos, giving his team a 10-7 lead going into the break.
Editor’s Note: This is a breaking news story and will be updated throughout the day as more information becomes available.
