Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams needed one more completion to finish things off Sunday afternoon.

The Bears held a 26-14 lead against the New Orleans and faced a fourth-and-3 with two minutes left in the game. The Saints had no timeouts left, so instead of kicking a field goal from the New Orleans 26-yard line, Bears head coach Ben Johnson decided to go for it to cap off the team’s fourth-straight win.

Williams stood in the shotgun formation as he motioned for wide receiver Rome Odunze to move from his right to his left. But as Williams received the snap, he didn’t stare at his top receiver. He looked straight at rookie tight end Colston Loveland to his right.

Williams threw it to him after a few seconds and Loveland dove as he made a eight-yard catch to secure the win.

“I want to be the guy they can call on in any moment,” Loveland said. “If my number’s called, I’ve got to be ready to attack the opportunity and make the most of it. And I feel like I did so a couple times throughout the year.”

The problem for Loveland, this years’ Bears first-round draft pick, is that the opportunities haven’t come his way too often. Heading into Sunday’s game against the Baltimore Ravens, Loveland is seventh on the team in receiving yards (78), receptions (eight) and targets (13).

A lack of opportunities have come for different reasons.

Loveland missed all of training camp as he recovered from shoulder surgery and then missed almost two full games because of a hip injury he suffered against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 3. But Johnson also hasn’t targeted tight ends much early in the season — tight end Cole Kmet has 11 more targets than Loveland.

The results could be frustrating for Loveland based on results elsewhere. Indianapolis Colts rookie tight end Tyler Warren, whom the Bears could’ve drafted at No. 10, has had a good start to his career, ranking 17th in the NFL with 439 receiving yards.

But Loveland wasn’t worried about any of that.

“What I’m worried about is winning games, and we’ve been doing that,” Loveland said. “Obviously, we’ve got to get a lot better, and got to win these games by more (points). So that’s really the main thing I’m worried about. I said this earlier, whenever my number’s called, I’ve got to go make a play. So I believe that there’ll be a game where I get my opportunity. So I’ve just got to make the most of it, and continue trusting in it. But I’m having fun out there right now, playing ball with all my guys, so I can’t complain one bit.”

That approach is what’s impressed Bears coaches and players since Loveland joined the team this offseason. Even though Loveland couldn’t practice, he was always paying close attention and asking questions during meetings. When he couldn’t take hits during practice, Loveland would make use of field time and mimic his routes on the sidelines as best as he could.

Loveland’s held on to that mentality as the season started and the results weren’t what he expected. It’s why veteran tight end Durham Smythe called him the most mature rookie he’s experienced throughout his career.

“That’s something that’ll do him well for the rest of his career, not using anything as a crutch, no excuses, kind of just getting after it every single day,” Smythe said. “And you know, whether you’re a rookie or not, that’ll take you a long way in this league. So it’s cool to see him have that from the very beginning.”

The opportunities started to come Sunday, but not in the pass-catching capacity many expected for Loveland coming out of college. Kmet left the game with a back injury and the run game was humming. So Loveland saw an opportunity and made the most of it.

Loveland stepped in and blocked well in order to help the Bears put together another season-best showing. He also laid out a key block in rookie running back Kyle Monangai’s first career touchdown.

“You’re starting to see the physicality and the strength [in run blocking] and I’m not sure we saw that even on on his tape at Michigan,” Bears offensive line coach Dan Roushar said. “So it’s growing, it’s getting better and you can feel that.”

Those improvements should continue to get better for Loveland both as a blocker and a receiver against the Ravens. Kmet missed practice all week and was ruled out for Sunday’s game, so Loveland should get more opportunities.

Loveland should be an important safety net for Williams against the Ravens. Baltimore’s talented secondary is getting healthier and could take away Williams’ top targets like Odunze and wide receiver DJ Moore.

That could lead to more moments like that fourth-down pass against the Saints.

“[He’s] the safety blanket of a receiver when he’s running routes and things like that, that’s how it feels when he’s back there,” Williams said. “We’ve had back-to-back games in big moments where the ball has gone to him. So I think that’s just kudos to the type of player he is, how smart he is, how good of an athlete he is and obviously he’s been trying to get on the same page with me and I think that’s going to just keep growing years with our years here together.”

The Bears are hoping that growth takes a big step against the Ravens. Unlocking Loveland’s ability to be a pass-catcher could help Chicago’s passing game take a much-needed step to reach its full potential.

“I want to be the guy they can call on in any moment. If my number’s called, I’ve got to be ready to attack the opportunity and make the most of it. And I feel like I did so a couple times throughout the year.”

—  Colston Loveland, Chicago Bears tight end

Loveland told reporters he feels more comfortable in the NFL five games into his career. But he’s focused on getting better to be ready for when his next opportunity arrises.

“I got to continue to keep learning,” Loveland said. “And we’re throwing new stuff in all the time, so you never really know it, you know, until go through the week and prepare for it. But I feel good. Just continue to get better in my technique and knowing more football.”