Tight ends Olsen, Clark need to be more hands-on again

Wide receivers' statistics aren't always an accurate gauge of the health of the Bears' passing game because the tight ends and running back Matt Forte have played such big roles.

When the tight ends begin to fade, that's when you know something's up. Greg Olsen has only one catch over the last two games, and Desmond Clark has been limited to one catch in two of the last three games. That's a sure sign all is not well.

Minnesota used more nickel packages to defend the Bears last week, and they're preparing to face a Jacksonville defense that has done a solid job covering tight ends, holding Houston's Owen Daniels and Tennessee's Bo Scaife in check in the last three weeks.

''[Defenses] have given us a few different looks to it and certainly nothing that we can't handle,'' quarterback Kyle Orton said. ''We just haven't gotten anything going with them the last couple of weeks for whatever reason. It doesn't matter who they put on them. They're good route runners, they're good players and they can make plays. As an entire offense, we have to do that.''

Clark said he doesn't care who's catching passes as long as the Bears are winning. Problem is, the wide receivers haven't been doing much for most of the season.

''We always want the ball,'' Clark said. ''You always feel like you can make a difference, and when you're not getting the ball, that could be frustrating.

''But winning cures everything. If you win the game, all those frustrations, you don't feel. But when you're losing, the frustrations are magnified. Everybody has to step up, the receivers and the tight ends, for Kyle and get open and get separation so he can get the ball to us.''

(suntimes.com)