Despite the Chicago Bears’ offensive woes in 2019, wide receiver Allen Robinson had a big season. With improved quarterback play, he could be in for an even bigger season in 2020.
The Chicago Bears offense struggled throughout the 2019 season. The unit ranked 29th in points scored and 29th in total yards. As a result, the team finished with a mediocre 8-8 record and missed the playoffs.
Despite the struggles, there was one bright spot on the offense — the play of wide receiver Allen Robinson. In 2019, Robinson made 98 catches for 1,147 yards and 7 touchdowns. Starting quarterback Mitchell Trubisky averaged 9.6 yards per completion but with Robinson, he averaged 11.7 yards.
Robinson became Trubisky’s go-to receiver. Trubisky always looked for him, sometimes to the offense’s detriment. In the Week 1 matchup against the hated Green Bay Packers last season, Trubisky tried to force a pass in the end zone to a double-covered Robinson. Former Bears safety Adrian Amos (of all people) intercepted the pass and that sealed the Packers’ win.
This is what NFL.com had to say about Robinson in 2019:
Productive in all weathers and dependable throughout the campaign, Robinson improved from his 2018 output while the rest of the Bears offense waned, reemerging as the talent who shined in the 2015 season with the Jaguars.
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Robinson’s career has been cursed with having to play with bad quarterbacks. In his time in college with Penn State, he had Matt McGloin and Christian Hackenberg. Those quarterbacks didn’t light things up, yet Robinson had 1,000+ receiving yards with both of them.
Robinson then went on to the NFL and the Jacksonville Jaguars, with the amazing slinger, Blake Bortles.
In his second professional season, with Bortles throwing him the ball, Robinson caught 80 passes for 1,400 yards and 14 touchdowns (which led the NFL). He averaged 17.5 yards per catch.
Robinson moved on to Chicago, where he signed a free-agent deal. We’ve seen what he accomplished with Trubisky as his quarterback.
Now, however, there is a quarterback competition. The Bears brought in Nick Foles, who could push Trubisky to new heights or send him to the bench. Foles has had his own struggles through the years, but he is a former Super Bowl MVP and thus becomes the best quarterback to throw to Robinson.
The prevailing thought is that the competition brings out the best in players. If that is the case, then expect more big things from Robinson. He already showed how he plays with mediocre quarterback play. If he gets better play in 2020, imagine how much better he could be.
It’s not just the quarterback who could help Robinson
There’s even more help for Robinson. If the quarterback (whoever ends up winning the battle) does a good job, there is someone else on the roster who helps Robinson — wide receiver Ted Ginn Jr. Ginn brings speed to the offense, and if the quarterbacks hit him a couple of times it gives Robinson more room to work. As good as he runs his routes and makes moves to break defenders’ ankle, he’ll be able to blow past them and make big plays.
Hopefully, the quarterback play improves. If it does, expect Robinson to have a big season. Also, expect his price tag for resigning to grow if the Chicago Bears don’t do it before the season begins.
