Don’t write off Muhammad just yet

By Julie Eguchi  |   Monday, April 03, 2006  |  Comments( 0 )

Chicago Bears
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When the Chicago Bears signed wide receiver Muhsin Muhammad to a six-year deal prior to the start of last season, GM Jerry Angelo must have figured he had just pulled off one of the most important free agent deals in his tenure with the organization. The team desperately needed a marquee target for up-and-coming quarterback Rex Grossman to throw to, and Muhammad, who was coming off a Pro Bowl season for Carolina, seemed to fit the bill.

So to say that Muhammad's 64 receptions for 750 yards and four touchdowns in 2005 fell short of what the Bears had banked on is definitely an understatement. After all, those stats didn't even come close to the numbers Muhammad put up in 2004, when he led the NFL with 93 catches for 1,405 yards and 16 TDs.

Still, a dropoff in production for Muhammad had to be expected because the Chicago Bears are primarily a running team and they don't have a Pro Bowl caliber quarterback like Jake Delhomme under center. It didn't help matters when Grossman went down in the preseason, forcing head coach Lovie Smith to turn the offense over to rookie Kyle Orton. Orton struggled from the beginning and was never able to get comfortable out on the field despite starting 15 regular season games. His lack of ability and experience made the Bears a one-dimensional team when they had the ball, so there weren't many opportunities for Muhammad to get involved.

Nevertheless, it's not entirely Orton's fault that Muhammad failed to live up to expectations in his first year with the Bears. Muhammad had more dropped balls than highlight-reel catches and was often visibly frustrated with Orton's mistakes. Muhammad's worst game of the season came in Week 13 against the Green Bay Packers when he had zero catches, marking the first time in 47 regular season games that he was held off the stat sheet. He also had a dismal 1-catch, 3-yard performance against the 49ers in Week 10, and failed to turn in a 100-yard game all season long.

Even so, Bears fans shouldn't be willing to write Muhammad off just yet. In 2006, Muhammad will have a better quarterback throwing him the football, whether it be Grossman or new acquisition Brian Griese. Either one of those guys will be a dramatic improvement over Orton in terms of reading defenses, going through progressions, and unloading the ball quickly. Muhammad has already proven that he can be a dangerous receiver when he has confidence in his quarterback, so look for him to be back in top form this season.

If the Chicago Bears can pick up a quality tight end or a dependable third receiver in the draft to take some of the pressure and double-teams off Muhammad, then he could be a real threat to break the 1,000-yard plateau and make at least 10 touchdown grabs. And that's exactly the kind of production Chicago needs from their star receiver.
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