Post by Deleted on Sept 14, 2016 14:25:19 GMT -6
Real Talk: After rocky debut, what's next for Bears receiver Kevin White?
Rich Campbell and Dan WiedererContact Reporters
Kevin White’s much anticipated NFL debut finished with more fizzle than sizzle Sunday in the Bears’ 23-14 loss to the Texans.
He had only three receptions for 34 yards, and his miscommunication with Jay Cutler in the third quarter resulted in an interception that jolted the Bears’ offense off course. White’s second prominent gaffe since the exhibition loss to the Chiefs underscored just how much developmental progress he must make before he meets the high expectations that have been set for him.
What’s to be made of White’s preseason and Week 1 struggles? How is the youngster handling it all? And how patient can Bears teammates and coaches continue to be with him? Bears writers Rich Campbell and Dan Wiederer discuss in this week’s Real Talk.
Rich Campbell: In a perfect world, Dan, White would’ve eclipsed 100 receiving yards in his debut and scored the go-ahead touchdown in the fourth quarter. We would have woken up Monday morning to a Tribune headline like “Worth the wait” or “White noise.”
But, as we know, it’s been a long time since the Bears have operated in that world. Instead, it was Texans first-round rookie receiver Will Fuller who had 107 yards and the decisive touchdown catch. Of course, the hamstring setback White suffered during the week before the game affected the outcome. But it’s not as though the Bears drew back the regular-season curtain and White suddenly was on stage as a refined receiver. Sunday was simply the latest reminder of the long process he’s in.
Dan Wiederer: To the critical eye, we knew this was coming. And we’ve said so for months now to anyone open to hearing realistic feedback. White’s development is going to take time. And maybe a lot of it.
That means fans – and more importantly, White’s teammates and coaches – are going to have to dial their patience up several notches as the young receiver struggles through a flurry of mistakes. The book on White out of college was straightforward: superb combination of size, speed and strength but an obvious lack of polish as a route runner. The latter doesn’t change overnight.
So to see White’s stumbles Sunday in Houston was hardly a shocker. But with the stakes now elevated, those errors – like the miscommunication on the pick – will open up important questions.
Just how long will Cutler remain tolerant of White’s slip-ups? Will the quarterback’s trust in his young playmaker eventually plummet? And how mentally resilient will White be in retaining his own confidence through the growing pains?
Campbell: Cutler’s patience with White is going to be under the microscope at increased magnification levels because of the reputation Cutler earned as a younger man.
He has done a great job over the last few years of cleaning up his body language and making it a non-story. He has matured in some ways, at least publicly. And as a co-captain, the team needs him to stay positive and be an uplifting presence no matter how trying the circumstances are.
Cutler gestured in frustration after White didn’t flatten a route against the Chiefs. He did so again Sunday after White stopped his break to the sideline on the interception. Then, in the final seconds after an incompletion intended for White, Fox cameras caught Cutler slam a water cup down and eyeball White as he walked past. It’s clear the body language patrol is back on alert.
Wiederer: You know what I think about the body language patrol. They’re an over-aggressive bunch looking to punish the most minor infractions. At this point anyway, I’d worry less about Cutler’s gesticulations and more about how he responds with his play.
John Fox seems to be on a similar page, saying Tuesday, “I can’t expect people not to show emotion. I don’t think any of that’s intentional. They’re just all competitors. They want good things to happen and when bad things happen, there’s probably an element of frustration with a lot of people. I’m kind of glad you didn’t see my reaction after that play.”
The next big steps for White: avoiding repeat mistakes, steadying his confidence and playing with a level of certainty that allows him to turn loose his elite speed and athleticism.
Campbell: I agree with Fox about the gestures as long as White feels the same way. If White felt like he was being shown up, that could be divisive and affect his confidence. For now, though, it doesn't have to be a big deal.
It's up to White to earn Cutler's trust, and clearly that's a work in progress. But from what we know about White's makeup, he's going to keep working at it until he succeeds.
Wiederer: There are zero questions about White’s desire. And that’ll be a valuable asset for him to have to push through some of this inevitable adversity. A bigger question right now surrounds his explosion. We all know White’s combine exploits, most notably the 4.35-second time he posted in the 40-yard dash. But that blazing speed hasn’t yet been evident in game action.
We haven’t seen a player burning past cornerbacks deep or taking quick-hit routes and smoking defenders for big gains. Had there been a flash or two like that Sunday, maybe White’s costly misstep on the Cutler pick wouldn’t seem so disconcerting.
Important context though: White barely practiced Thursday or Friday last week, hindered by that hamstring issue. An ailment like that can be Kryptonite for a receiver with super-speed. And the hamstring troubles are something that have been recurring intermittently since organized team activities.
Campbell: It’s an issue. The last thing he needs on his shoulders is an injury-prone label. At least he has an extra day in Week 2 for the muscle to improve before the Eagles visit Monday night.
And I’m glad you mentioned the need for White to play with certainty. Clearly, there’s a lot swirling through his mind when he’s on the field. Formations, route precision, coverages and possible sight adjustments. Progressing to where that comes naturally and where he can just let it rip is the essence of what he’s going through right now.
Even though Eddie Royal showed up healthy and productive in Week 1, keep White in the lineup and let him continue to work through it. This Bears regime shows faith in young players and a tolerance for growing pains. That should continue in White's case.
Wiederer: The leg surgery that caused White to miss his entire rookie season was a major setback on multiple levels. Not only did it slow his development and deprive him of opportunity to get up to speed with Cutler, it’s also created an aura of obvious impatience in the outside world. And that’s something White will have to deal with and work around now.
That there’s already a hyperventilating reaction to his first regular season game is telling. A success-starved fan base is growing tired with an organization that seems to be always asking for more time. More worrisome in the immediate future, though, is White’s hamstring problem. Now, all of a sudden, he has yet another thing working against him. Combine his evolving understanding of route concepts with his lack of NFL game action and mix in a hammy problem and it’s no wonder he’s not playing anywhere near as fast as advertised.
But of course White should stay on the field. The only way he’ll become more sophisticated as a route runner and more complete as a receiver is through experience. So let’s revisit this progress report at the bye week and see where we’re at.
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Rich Campbell and Dan WiedererContact Reporters
Kevin White’s much anticipated NFL debut finished with more fizzle than sizzle Sunday in the Bears’ 23-14 loss to the Texans.
He had only three receptions for 34 yards, and his miscommunication with Jay Cutler in the third quarter resulted in an interception that jolted the Bears’ offense off course. White’s second prominent gaffe since the exhibition loss to the Chiefs underscored just how much developmental progress he must make before he meets the high expectations that have been set for him.
What’s to be made of White’s preseason and Week 1 struggles? How is the youngster handling it all? And how patient can Bears teammates and coaches continue to be with him? Bears writers Rich Campbell and Dan Wiederer discuss in this week’s Real Talk.
Rich Campbell: In a perfect world, Dan, White would’ve eclipsed 100 receiving yards in his debut and scored the go-ahead touchdown in the fourth quarter. We would have woken up Monday morning to a Tribune headline like “Worth the wait” or “White noise.”
But, as we know, it’s been a long time since the Bears have operated in that world. Instead, it was Texans first-round rookie receiver Will Fuller who had 107 yards and the decisive touchdown catch. Of course, the hamstring setback White suffered during the week before the game affected the outcome. But it’s not as though the Bears drew back the regular-season curtain and White suddenly was on stage as a refined receiver. Sunday was simply the latest reminder of the long process he’s in.
Dan Wiederer: To the critical eye, we knew this was coming. And we’ve said so for months now to anyone open to hearing realistic feedback. White’s development is going to take time. And maybe a lot of it.
That means fans – and more importantly, White’s teammates and coaches – are going to have to dial their patience up several notches as the young receiver struggles through a flurry of mistakes. The book on White out of college was straightforward: superb combination of size, speed and strength but an obvious lack of polish as a route runner. The latter doesn’t change overnight.
So to see White’s stumbles Sunday in Houston was hardly a shocker. But with the stakes now elevated, those errors – like the miscommunication on the pick – will open up important questions.
Just how long will Cutler remain tolerant of White’s slip-ups? Will the quarterback’s trust in his young playmaker eventually plummet? And how mentally resilient will White be in retaining his own confidence through the growing pains?
Campbell: Cutler’s patience with White is going to be under the microscope at increased magnification levels because of the reputation Cutler earned as a younger man.
He has done a great job over the last few years of cleaning up his body language and making it a non-story. He has matured in some ways, at least publicly. And as a co-captain, the team needs him to stay positive and be an uplifting presence no matter how trying the circumstances are.
Cutler gestured in frustration after White didn’t flatten a route against the Chiefs. He did so again Sunday after White stopped his break to the sideline on the interception. Then, in the final seconds after an incompletion intended for White, Fox cameras caught Cutler slam a water cup down and eyeball White as he walked past. It’s clear the body language patrol is back on alert.
Wiederer: You know what I think about the body language patrol. They’re an over-aggressive bunch looking to punish the most minor infractions. At this point anyway, I’d worry less about Cutler’s gesticulations and more about how he responds with his play.
John Fox seems to be on a similar page, saying Tuesday, “I can’t expect people not to show emotion. I don’t think any of that’s intentional. They’re just all competitors. They want good things to happen and when bad things happen, there’s probably an element of frustration with a lot of people. I’m kind of glad you didn’t see my reaction after that play.”
The next big steps for White: avoiding repeat mistakes, steadying his confidence and playing with a level of certainty that allows him to turn loose his elite speed and athleticism.
Campbell: I agree with Fox about the gestures as long as White feels the same way. If White felt like he was being shown up, that could be divisive and affect his confidence. For now, though, it doesn't have to be a big deal.
It's up to White to earn Cutler's trust, and clearly that's a work in progress. But from what we know about White's makeup, he's going to keep working at it until he succeeds.
Wiederer: There are zero questions about White’s desire. And that’ll be a valuable asset for him to have to push through some of this inevitable adversity. A bigger question right now surrounds his explosion. We all know White’s combine exploits, most notably the 4.35-second time he posted in the 40-yard dash. But that blazing speed hasn’t yet been evident in game action.
We haven’t seen a player burning past cornerbacks deep or taking quick-hit routes and smoking defenders for big gains. Had there been a flash or two like that Sunday, maybe White’s costly misstep on the Cutler pick wouldn’t seem so disconcerting.
Important context though: White barely practiced Thursday or Friday last week, hindered by that hamstring issue. An ailment like that can be Kryptonite for a receiver with super-speed. And the hamstring troubles are something that have been recurring intermittently since organized team activities.
Campbell: It’s an issue. The last thing he needs on his shoulders is an injury-prone label. At least he has an extra day in Week 2 for the muscle to improve before the Eagles visit Monday night.
And I’m glad you mentioned the need for White to play with certainty. Clearly, there’s a lot swirling through his mind when he’s on the field. Formations, route precision, coverages and possible sight adjustments. Progressing to where that comes naturally and where he can just let it rip is the essence of what he’s going through right now.
Even though Eddie Royal showed up healthy and productive in Week 1, keep White in the lineup and let him continue to work through it. This Bears regime shows faith in young players and a tolerance for growing pains. That should continue in White's case.
Wiederer: The leg surgery that caused White to miss his entire rookie season was a major setback on multiple levels. Not only did it slow his development and deprive him of opportunity to get up to speed with Cutler, it’s also created an aura of obvious impatience in the outside world. And that’s something White will have to deal with and work around now.
That there’s already a hyperventilating reaction to his first regular season game is telling. A success-starved fan base is growing tired with an organization that seems to be always asking for more time. More worrisome in the immediate future, though, is White’s hamstring problem. Now, all of a sudden, he has yet another thing working against him. Combine his evolving understanding of route concepts with his lack of NFL game action and mix in a hammy problem and it’s no wonder he’s not playing anywhere near as fast as advertised.
But of course White should stay on the field. The only way he’ll become more sophisticated as a route runner and more complete as a receiver is through experience. So let’s revisit this progress report at the bye week and see where we’re at.
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Copyright © 2016, Chicago Tribune
