Bears

Is Chicago Bears TE Cole Kmet finally emerging as a red zone target?

Kmet has 3 touchdowns in the past 2 weeks

Chicago Bears tight end Cole Kmet prepares for contact with Miami Dolphins cornerback Xavien Howard during their game Sunday, Nov. 6, 2022, at Soldier Field in Chicago.

LAKE FOREST – With quarterback Justin Fields in the shotgun, Bears tight end Cole Kmet motioned across the formation, but stopped when he reached the center. The 6-foot-6, 260-pound tight end took a direct snap and pushed his way forward for the one yard the Bears needed for a first down.

The tight end sneak has become increasingly popular in the NFL over the last several years. Offensive coordinator Luke Getsy is taking every opportunity he can to put the ball in Kmet’s hands.

“When he has that ball in his hands, it’s like a switch — he just becomes this violent guy,” Getsy said.

In Sunday’s loss to the Miami Dolphins, Kmet executed the tight end sneak, but also had his best day of the season in the passing game. He caught five passes for 41 yards and a pair of touchdown from Fields. His fourth-quarter touchdown cut Miami’s lead to three points and gave the Bears a shot at the victory.

Over the last two games, Kmet has caught three touchdown passes. He has six red zone targets on the season, and four of them have come in the last two weeks. Six red zone targets is enough to lead the Bears this season, which makes sense when considering how much the team relies on the run game in that area.

The last two weeks have been a needed spark after Kmet failed to find the end zone during the entire 2021 season. The increased production in recent weeks is a huge boost for the Lake Barrington native, who caught only two passes in the month of September.

“We’ve been figuring this thing out dating back to OTAs and we’re still continuing to figure this thing out with everybody involved, figuring our strengths out and things of that nature,” Kmet said. “So yeah, lot of fun [Sunday] for the offense and, obviously, we’ve got to finish it out there at the end, but a lot of creative things going on for sure.”

On the season, Kmet has caught 19 passes for 200 yards and three touchdowns. Even though he hasn’t been catching passes at a high clip, Kmet has remained an integral part of this offense through his blocking. He played no fewer than 83% of offensive snaps in any game this season.

Kmet’s resurgence in the passing attack has coincided with the Bears’ resurgence as an offense. Fields’ running abilities are clearly making it tough on defenses. That added threat has opened some things up in the passing game, too.

Kmet said the Bears are getting a better feel for Getsy as a play caller. There have been times where Kmet heard the play call in the huddle and thought, “Oh, hell yeah. That’s a great time to call this.”

“He’s got a great feel for all that and all the players are really believing in that,” Kmet said. “There’s definitely a good feel to it that he has.”

Injury updates: Cornerback Kindle Vildor (ankle) is officially out. That likely means undrafted rookie Jaylon Jones could be in the lineup. Vildor injured his ankle early in last week’s game against Miami. Jones played 29 defensive snaps after Vildor left the game.

Defensive end Al-Quadin Muhammad (knee) did not practice this week and is listed as doubtful.

Right guard Teven Jenkins (hip) and cornerback Jaylon Johnson (oblique) were limited in practice Friday and are listed as questionable for Sunday’s game.

Sean Hammond

Sean Hammond

Sean is the Chicago Bears beat reporter for the Shaw Local News Network. He has covered the Bears since 2020. Prior to writing about the Bears, he covered high school sports for the Northwest Herald and contributed to Friday Night Drive. Sean joined Shaw Media in 2016.