Wide receivers earning respect

Eleven-year veteran tight end Desmond Clark wouldn't blame the Bears' young wide receivers if they had an attitude.

"They should," Clark said. "I would. If I was routinely getting talked about as not being as good as I really am, I would have a chip on my shoulder. I don't think they've gotten the kind of respect that they deserve."

Wide receiver was considered the weakest area on the team in the preseason. But Devin Hester, Earl Bennett and Johnny Knox have 514 of the team's 760 receiving yards and 35 of the 65 receptions.

"All of them are young, yeah, but everyone came into this league young, and everybody had to make a name for themselves at some point or another," Clark said. "That's the position they're in right now. All of them are trying to make a name for themselves, and so far they've been doing that."

The three Bears have accounted for 53.8 percent of the team’s receptions this season and 67.6 percent of the receiving yards. Last year Bears wide receivers produced 41.4 percent of the team’s catches and 52.2 percent of the yardage.