Tag: Mike Furrey

Bears WR Anthony Miller feels like he’s reached a new level of his game

Anthony Miller believes that he’s poised for a breakout season now that he’s been developing from the mental aspect of the game.

There’s no question that Anthony Miller has the talent to be a productive wide receiver for the Chicago Bears. The key for Miller has been the mental aspect of the game.

For Miller, this offseason has been important — and not just given he’s recovering from offseason shoulder surgery. This offseason has been about getting in the best mental shape of his pro football career. And he’s already noticed the differences from his rookie year heading into Year 3.

“When I was drafted, I was just thinking of the game as just going out there and playing,” Miller said Friday during a video call with reporters. “Not really paying attention to the depth of my route or the most small details of this game, and I was really just going out there and running and playing. But when you really understand the game and the concepts of the play and what kind of defense is back there, then it puts you on another level.”

Last season, Miller had a slow start to his second year because of just that. Miller didn’t see a ton of action in the first nine games of the season, catching only 17 passes. It was a wake-up call for Miller, who didn’t appear to be a part of the Bears’ offensive plans.

But once that light did go off, Miller went off. In a five-game stretch from Weeks 11-15, Miller totaled 33 receptions for 431 yards and two touchdowns in Weeks 11-15. He finished the year with 52 receptions for 656 yards and two scores.

Now, receivers coach Mike Furrey sees a different player. Someone that is more mature and wants to be the best player he can be.

“It’s just his continuing growth to understand what it takes off the field and how he’s got to prepare during the week to be able to go out and be successful and allow these things to happen in the game,” Furrey said. “I really believe he’s learned that. He’s still going to develop. We talked about this all offseason: It’s still a learning curve for him. He was allowed to get away with a lot of stuff in college, and his statistics were phenomenal. But that stuff just doesn’t work in the pros, and it’s a hard transition.

“From a maturity standpoint, from a development standpoint of learning how to be a pro, those are the things he’s working on. I think this is the first year that I actually can sense there’s an intent there. He gets it. He just had a son here a couple weeks ago. The maturity level, that helps us all grow up. There’s a lot of things that factor in his life that have allowed him to do that.”

Miller has said that he believes this will be his breakout year, and he attributes that to accepting that he’s going to have more responsibility this season and knowing where he wants to improve.

“When [Furrey] says this isn’t the playground anymore, he’s saying I have more responsibility this year within the offense, and I’m ready to take that role,” Miller said. “I’m ready for any challenge he throws my way. I don’t want to have any [missed assignments]. I want to be perfect out there on the field. I want to do each and every play right and to the best of my ability. I just want to have a smooth year as far as knowing what I’m supposed to do.”

[vertical-gallery id=451917]

[lawrence-related id=452384,452387,452352,452342,452355]

Why Bears WR coach Mike Furrey believes this could be Anthony Miller’s breakout year

Bears WR coach Mike Furrey is confident that Anthony Miller could be due a breakout year following mental maturity.

Following a solid rookie campaign in 2018, Bears receiver Anthony Miller believed that he was primed for a breakout season in his second year. But it was clear from the start of the 2019 season that the Bears didn’t think Miller was ready.

Miller didn’t see a ton of action in the first nine games of the season, catching only 17 passes. It was a wake-up call for Miller, who didn’t appear to be a part of the Bears’ offensive plans.

“I just don’t think from a maturity standpoint, a preparation standpoint, that Anthony probably was 100% all in,” Bears receivers coach Mike Furrey told reporters last week. “I think he still had that college mentality that ability was going to be able to allow him overcome whatever he wanted to overcome in games. Talent can only get you so far when you get to the pros. You got to start learning the details of what you’re supposed to do, the quarterback’s got to trust where you’re supposed to be. I just think he was really lacking in those areas.

“You go back to that Packers game sitting there thinking one of our best players isn’t on the field. The reason why is because you can’t trust him. I think that light went off for Anthony toward the latter half of the season.”

But after that light went off, Miller was a completely different player — from a mentality standpoint that translated into impressive on-field production. In a five-game stretch from Weeks 11-15, Miller totaled 33 receptions for 431 yards and two touchdowns in Weeks 11-15. He finished the year with 52 receptions for 656 yards and two scores.

With Miller entering Year 3, Furrey is confident that he can finally put it all together from the start to the finish of the season.

“It’s just his continuing growth to understand what it takes off the field and how he’s got to prepare during the week to be successful and allow these things to happen during the game,” Furrey said. “I really believe he’s learned it.

“From a maturity standpoint, from a development standpoint of being a pro, those are the things he’s working on. This is the first year I can actually can sense there’s an intent there. He gets it.

“He’s a heck of a football player.”

[vertical-gallery id=451917]

[lawrence-related id=452083,452091,452075,452060,451967]

WR Darnell Mooney dubbed key rookie sleeper for Bears

Bears rookie WR Darnell Mooney has the skillset to be a game-changing playmaker for the Bears, even potentially as a rookie.

One of the things that the Chicago Bears offense missed last season was speed, which was something they addressed in drafting wide receiver Darnell Mooney.

The fifth-round pick out of Tulane has the skillset to be a game-changing playmaker for the Bears. Which is why CBS Sports‘ Chris Trapasso dubbed Mooney a key rookie sleeper that could shine for the Bears in 2020.

Mooney was easy to overlook during the pre-draft process. He never caught more than 48 passes in a single season in his collegiate career and stands 5-10 and 176 pounds. But his quarterback play was average at its absolute best at Tulane, which hindered his production a great deal.

If you’re going to be that small in the NFL, you better be fast, and Mooney is. He ran 4.38 at the combine and had 37-inch vertical. On film, he demonstrated awesome concentration when tracking the football down the field and played bigger than his size because of his leaping talents. Allen Robinson is an underrated star in Chicago, and Anthony Miller flashed in his second season, but if Ted Ginn has lot a few steps, Mooney can be the deep-ball specialist for the Bears as a rookie. He’s very polished in that role.

During his four seasons at Tulane, Mooney tallied 2,572 total receiving yards. But it was his junior year that was especially impressive, where he caught 48 receptions for 993 yards — 20.7 yards-per-reception — and eight touchdowns. Mooney accounted for 41.7% of Tulane’s receiving yards during that 2018 season.

Bears receivers coach Mike Furrey has praised Mooney for possessing the kind of speed and agility you can’t coach, which makes him one of the most explosive guys in that room. Mooney’s playmaking speed is something that should help stretch the field for the Bears.

[vertical-gallery id=450551]

[lawrence-related id=451082,451109,451059,450962,450960]

Riley Ridley dubbed Bears’ biggest sleeper heading into training camp

Bleacher Report believes second-year WR Riley Ridley will be a player to watch heading into training camp.

The Chicago Bears are coming off a disappointing 2019 season that was worse than their 8-8 record indicated. With several significant injuries on defense and one of the worst offenses, the Bears didn’t live up to the hype coming off an impressive 2018 season.

But in order to rebound, they’re going to need some players to step it up. Whether that’s players you’d expect it from and those that might surprise.

Bleacher Report believes second-year receiver Riley Ridley could be one of those guys. They have him pegged as the Bears’ biggest sleeper to watch heading into training camp.

Take Riley Ridley, who barely saw the field as a rookie fourth-round pick in 2019 but caught three of the four passes thrown his way for 54 yards in the team’s regular-season finale. It was a good sign for the Georgia product that Chicago again didn’t spend a high draft pick on a receiver and an even better sign when wide receivers coach Mike Furrey pumped up Ridley’s tires last month.

Ginn and Cordarrelle Patterson are more accomplished, but Ridley’s got the route-running ability and the pass-catching skills to beat them out for regular outside reps this summer and fall.

The fourth-round pick out of Georgia didn’t see much playing time during his rookie year, as he was a healthy scratch for the first 11 games. Ridley played in five games, where he tallied six catches for 69 yards.

Bears receivers coach Mike Furrey raved about Ridley earlier this offseason, saying that he expects the second-year wideout to impress in 2020.

“The biggest growth we’re going to see with anybody in our room is going to be Riley Ridley,” Furrey told reporters. “His preparation right now, his attitude, his desire, the passion he has to become successful in this game, he loves the process. And I believe when you love the process, it’s going to be successful.”

[vertical-gallery id=449460]

[lawrence-related id=450268,450250,450197,450182,450056]

Mike Furrey: Darnell Mooney is one of most explosive guys in WR room

Bears WR coach Mike Furrey believes that rookie WR Darnell Mooney possesses the kind of speed and agility that you can’t coach.

The Chicago Bears offense had plenty of needs following a disastrous 2019 season, ranging from quarterback play to lack of a run game to poor offensive line play.

Something else the Bears offense lacked last season was speed, which general manager Ryan Pace has addressed this offseason with the free-agent acquisition of veteran receiver Ted Ginn Jr. and rookie wideout Darnell Mooney.

Mooney, a fifth-round pick, made a name for himself as a speedy receiver at Tulane, where he averaged 17.7 yards per reception in his final three years. Although Mooney will be the first to say that he wants to be a more complete wideout, there’s no denying that he’s the kind of playmaker the Bears offense could use.

Bears wide receivers coach Mike Furrey believes that Mooney possesses the kind of speed and agility that you can’t coach, which makes him one of the most explosive guys in that room.

“He’s going to probably be one of the most explosive guys that we have in our room in regard to matching his speed with his agility,” Furrey told reporters via video conference. “He can put his foot in the ground and he can go. He can also go side to side. Obviously the first thing that we look at is being able to match his speed and agility with being able to catch the football as well. And there were some times where he put his foot in the ground and would get vertical and go up and attack a football. That’s not really a knack of a lot of guys that play receiver, especially in college.

“It’s hard to coach speed, it’s hard to coach agility. Those things, you either have them or you don’t.”

While Mooney likely won’t see a ton of snaps as a rookie in a crowded receivers room, he has the kind of speed that can stretch the field for an offense that was low on big-time plays a season ago.

[vertical-gallery id=443889]

[lawrence-related id=449512,449525,449518,449333,449430]

Mike Furrey believes WR Riley Ridley is going to impress in 2020

Bears WR coach Mike Furrey believes Riley Ridley is going to make significant growth in his second season.

The offense for the Chicago Bears last year was frustrating to watch and the team needs a breakout performer for the 2020 season. Bears wide receiver coach Mike Furrey has selected his candidate.

“The biggest growth we’re going to see with anybody in our room is going to be Riley Ridley,” Furrey told reporters via video conference Wednesday. “His preparation right now, his attitude, his desire, the passion he has to become successful in this game, he loves the process. And I believe when you love the process, it’s going to be successful.”

The former Georgia Bulldog struggled with injuries early into training camp last year. Ridley played in five games and recorded six catchers for 69 yards, but he was a healthy scratch in the first 11 games.

“I’m excited about Riley,” Furrey said. “From the time we left the last snap last year to where we will be this training camp, you’re going to have a guy coming in that now has the confidence he can play in the NFL.”

The Bears would love to see a second-year jump from the 2019 fourth-round pick. Ridley, he’s going to see a lot of competition from the Bears wide receivers since Ted Ginn Jr. and Darnell Mooney are new to the roster, then Cordarrelle Patterson and Javon Wims already in the room.

Furrey is candid and direct, so having him talk highly of Ridley is noteworthy.

[vertical-gallery id=445985]

[lawrence-related id=448847,448753,448737,448674]

Bears WR Anthony Miller offering glimpse of his potential

Anthony Miller’s performance in the last month has shown that the young receiver has a bright future with the Bears.

As the Chicago Bears prepare for a rematch against their rivals Green Bay Packers, Bears receiver Anthony Miller is expecting more from himself against the Packers.

Looking back at Chicago’s season opener against Green Bay, Miller was coming off an ankle injury suffered in training camp and struggling to learn Matt Nagy’s offense. The injury hampered him greatly and it’s taken him some time to get into a rhythm in this offense — as it has for many.

“I don’t think I played much in that game,” Miller said.

He didn’t. He played just 15 snaps and was targeted once without a catch.

“But it’s gonna be different this game.”

When Miller says the words, you believe him. Because it’s his performance that’s doing the talking.

In the last four games, Miller has 24 catches for 313 yards and a touchdown. Like his quarterback Mitchell Trubisky, he’s been playing with more confidence. And that’s no coincidence considering Trubisky and Miller have really started clicking over the last month.

“We all knew Anthony’s potential,” Bears wide receivers coach Mike Furrey said. “We sat here in Week 1 trying to figure out why he wasn’t on the field a lot. It’s more of the mental part. More of the maturity part than the ability.

“I think he’s been humbled enough … to understand that you have to show up every day. You have to prepare. You can’t go out there and play playground on Sundays or you won’t play.”

That mental maturity has unlocked something in Miller over the last month, where he posted a career game with nine receptions for 140 yards against the Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving.

Considering how much Miller has grown this season, it’s exciting to know that he hasn’t reached his full potential yet.

“The growth he’s done maturity-wise and the way he’s handled himself, “Furrey said, “you’re starting to see what we all were hoping, what we all knew he had. I don’t think he’s done. He still has a lot more room to grow.”

[lawrence-related id=432991,432965,432958,432938,432947,432924]