Dane Who???? Maybe Rookie Can Find Rapport With Hanie................

Forgotten Dane Sanzenbacher has rapport with Caleb Hanie
By Mark Potash mpotash@suntimes.com November 25, 2011 10:16PM
Updated: November 25, 2011 10:53PM


Remember Dane Sanzenbacher?

The rookie wide receiver from Ohio State made the roster as an undrafted free agent and filled the Earl Bennett role as Jay Cutler’s favorite target with 17 receptions for 166 yards and three touchdowns in six games after Bennett suffered a nagging chest bruise in Week 2 against the Saints.

But since Bennett returned against the Philadelphia Eagles, Sanzenbacher has not caught a pass in a limited role. A glaring drop against the Eagles probably didn’t help his cause. But it’s Bennett’s return that pushed Sanzenbacher to the background.

Does he feel like the forgotten man?

‘‘I don’t think anybody in this room feels forgotten,’’ Sanzenbacher said. ‘‘We have a unique room in that we root for each other. We want each other to succeed, and I think not every team has that. It’s a good thing we have going.

‘‘It’s hard to think about yourself when you have a [winning] streak going. I’m obviously not satisfied with where I’m at. I want to be on the field. But it’s a process.’’

For what it’s worth, Sanzenbacher was Caleb Hanie’s favorite target in the preseason. Hanie threw to Sanzenbacher 16 times, completing seven passes for 81 yards.

He said he doesn’t think that will earn him more playing time.

‘‘But it can’t hurt,’’ he said. ‘‘I think it was good for me to have worked with Caleb so much. And even through the year — a lot of times in route timing I’ve worked with Caleb, too. We’ve become familiar, and the more you can get the timing, the more you can connect on passes with the same guy.’’

He may not feel like the forgotten man but that's exactly what he become and most of it is his own fault. I think the only guy was had more drops is RWill but I also thing RWill has been targeted more often. Before the Eagles game he was second in the league in drops and that one in Philly right before Forte's fumble that Philly returned for a score ws the final nail in his coffin.

I'm really puzzled over what's happended to him. In preseason and the first couple of games he was getting open and catching everything within his reach and a few that weren't. Then he started dropping balls that Cutler put right in his hands culminating with that major league drop againt Philly.

I think the kid has far too much talent to cut so I'm glad they're sticking with him and I hope it's just a case of rookie nerves or something that will go away as fast as it arrived. I still have high hopes for this little guy.

Good points Soul,

In fact you can see the EXACT same thing happeniing with Da Raiduhs ...

since Palmer got there Heywood-Bey has fallen off the charts.

Denarious Moore has been the goto.

I think this might be a situation where both teams keep WR's under wraps,

and then light them up when they are needed at key times.

It might be a good change up to see Sanz and Hurd as targets. I would think in practice they get 2nd team reps more with Hanie anyway. I'm not putting much faith in Rwill adjusting to a new qb without a case of the dropsies.