Not to be lost in the madness that was the end of the Chicago Bears’ Week 11 win against the Minnesota Vikings was the fact that we got a glimpse of what the Colston Loveland and Cole Kmet tag team could look like when the offense is cooking.
If you spent a chunk of the offseason wondering how Bears Head Coach Ben Johnson would use his tight ends, then you got your answer in the team’s Week 11 win against the Vikings.
This is how the Bears tight end trio of Colston Loveland, Cole Kmet, and Durham Smythe fared in the victory at US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis:
Colston Loveland — 4 targets, 3 catches, 40 receiving yards Cole Kmet – 5 targets, 5 catches, 45 receiving yards Durham Smythe — 3 targets, 1 reception, 8 yardsMuch was made in the offseason about how the Bears offense would incorporate the potential two-headed monster of Colston Loveland and Cole Kmet. And while things were uneven in the early parts of the sesaon, that tandem appears to have picked up some steam in recent weeks. I hope the best is yet to come for the Bears tight ends. If that happens to be the case, then I expect for it to look like it did in Week 11.
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On the Bears’ YouTube page, radio analyst Tom Thayer breaks down how the team deployed its tight ends in a way that has me looking forward to seeing more down the stretch:
Bears tight ends Colston Loveland, Cole Kmet, and Durham Smythe are working together
The trio of Colston Loveland, Cole Kmet, and Durham Smythe were unsung heroes of the Bears’ Week 11 win. And the video breakdown from Tom Thayer above puts into perspective how that group can continue to contribute to wins as this season prepares to flip the calendar to December in a few weeks. That the Bears have tight ends who can be used in a variety of different ways should keep opposing defenses on their heels while giving the offense some much-needed multiplicity.
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Business has picked up for rookie tight end Colston Loveland in recent weeks. After a slow start, Loveland has seen an uptick in playing time and production. Loveland has played on at least 60 percent of the team’s offensive snaps in each of the Bears’ games since the bye week. He has played on at least two-thirds of the snaps in four of those games, and has been in on the offensive action at a 74 percent clip or higher in three of the last four contests. As you might expect, his production has clicked up, too.
Even though the arrival of Colston Loveland has eaten into some of Cole Kmet’s production, let’s credit Bears Head Coach Ben Johnson for keeping the veteran tight end engaged. Kmet isn’t putting up big numbers, but I have an appreciation for his newfound role in this offense. Not only is he catching passes in the flat as a safety valve, but Kmet is also hitting the truck stick button and plowing through would-be tacklers. Kmet is also channeling that energy in run-blocking. It isn’t sexy, but it is productive.
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And let’s not lose sight of what Durham Smythe is doing as the team’s third tight end. Finding snaps for TE3 hasn’t generally been a priority in recent years, especially with the Bears trotting out the ageless wonder Marcedes Lewis in 2023 and 2024. However, the Bears offense is finding opportunities for Smythe, who Pro Football Focus’ data has as having lined up in inline as tight end (115 snaps), in the backfield (33 snaps), out wide (7 snaps), in the slot (12 snaps, and as an extra offensive lineman (1 snap). That type of positional versatility is invaluable in the grand scheme of things.
In the end, a tight end’s job isn’t as glamorous as guys like Travis Kelce and Brock Bowers make it out to be. And while it is often thankless, the Bears’ trio of Colston Loveland, Cole Kmet, and Durham Smythe are doing a bangup job. I look forward to seeing what is next for this position group in Week 12 (and beyond).
Nov 9, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bears tight end Durham Smythe (81), tight end Colston Loveland (84) and tight end Cole Kmet (85) take the field before the game against the New York Giants at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Mike Dinovo-Imagn ImagesHence then, the article about an inside look at how the bears are using their tight ends was published today ( ) and is available on Bleacher Nation ( Middle East ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
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