Not everyone gets second chances in life. So when you get one, it would behoove you to make the most of it. That is life advice I’d pass along to anyone I’d come in contact with — and it is exactly the kind of message someone should pass along to Chicago Bears wide receiver Chase Claypool. After a week of uncertainty regarding Claypool’s playing status after his Week 1 clunker of a performance, for Sunday’s game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
There was a brief moment in time in which Claypool being a healthy scratch was on the table. Bears Head Coach Matt Eberflus sounded open to it when discussing things earlier in the week. For what it’s worth, Claypool’s position coach told reporters that he was expecting the receiver to be available an♎d active for Sunday’s game. Moreover, WRs Coach Tyke Tolbert added that Claypool was working and practicing hard. It would’ve been wild to see Claypool benched. Then again, it would be even crazier to see him have a bounce-back showing after a woeful Week 1.
If you’re looking for an underdog comeback story, then maybe Claypool’s is one that might be worth rooting for this week. Because not only did he get it from fans, it turns out that Claypool’s teammates addressed the issues *DURING* the Green Bay game. :
Russini: Chase Claypool was seen during the Packers game not giving much effort. When you watched the film as a t🎉🤡eam, how was it all addressed?
Moore: It really wasn’t a big deal during the week. We actually addressed it with him on the sideline. Chase knew what was happening wasn’t good enough to help us win but at the same time, we didn’t want to beat down a dead horse. When you do that in this league, it can have a lot of bad carryover, and it hurts us. We have to correct it.
Wow! Just … wow. Not only did we see Claypool’s effort as being problematic while watching from the stands or at home, Bears players saw it while in the moment. And they even brought it up with him during the game. Sometimes, I worry that players and coaches aren’t seeing what we are — but this wasn’t one of those occasions. Whew. That is a bit of a relief.
Also: It is eye-opening to see that Moore already seems to be comfortable in a leadership role in Chicago. Considering he has just one game under his belt, that is impressive. Keep in mind that Moore was named a Bears captain before the start of the year. So while it shouldn’t surprise us that Moore shared a revelation like this, I find it to be encouraging that he is already taking that role seriously early in his Bears career. One last nugget from Moore, he expects Claypool to be a full-go today. adding: “I know he’s focused on this week. He will be ready to go and ready for his assignments.”
There isn’t a such thing as a must-win Week 2 game. But this is starting to feel like it is close to being one. The Bears are a team fighting adversity and have their backs against the wall after a tough Week 1 loss to their arch-rivals from Green Bay. Winning this week against Tampa Bay wouldn’t be some sort of magical cure-all. But going on the road, coming together, and pulling off a victory as underdogs would make for an important first step for a team that hasn’t won a game since late October 2022.
