Chicago Bears Week 12: Rookie Report
Caylor Arnold-USA TODAY Sports
OLB Christian Jones – Played his best game of the season as part of the Bears nickle package. The Bears brought Jones in for McClellin and then Briggs when he got hurt and there was a noticeable difference in team speed with Jones on the field. Jones is starting to look more comfortable at either OLB spot and using his elite speed and athleticism to make more plays than Briggs and of course McClellin. Moving forward I think Jones belongs in the starting lineup at strong-side OLB over McClellin, but his best position might be replacing Briggs on the weak side if he retires after the season. Jones is one of young building blocks on the Bears defense and his versatility should secure a starting spot next year at one of the OLB positions. After getting just 9 snaps last week when Trestman benched the rookies, Jones got 39 on Sunday and shouldn’t get any less than that the rest of the season.
P Pat O’Donnell – He had a couple of nice punts in the first half including a 52-yarder with good hang-time, but in the 4th quarter with the Bears protecting a lead, O Donnell had two shanks one for just 20 yards and one for 22 yards. That is unacceptable when trying to protect a lead and against a better team it could have cost the Bears a victory. O’Donnell has shown flashes of being a dominant punter, but has also had too many shanked punts and he needs to show some consistency the last five weeks of the season to secure his job for 2015. If O’Donnell loses the starting gig in just his 2nd season, than Emery’s 6th round choice of O’Donnell in a loaded draft is going to count as a serious strike against his tenure with the Bears. To give you an idea how much talent was left on the draft board when the Bears selected O’ Donnell, there were approximately 20 players drafted after O’Donnell or not at all who have started games this season in the NFL (not including Bears Christian Jones).*
T/G Charles Leno Jr – Active for the 2nd week in a row and got 7 snaps as a 6th lineman / 3rd TE. Eden Britton’s old role
RB Senorise Perry -Continues to be one of the Bears most consistent cover guys and had another tackle on kick coverage this week.
Inactives
CB Terrance Mitchell
TE Blake Annen
* RB Isaiah Crowell (Cle), WR Allen Hurns (Jax), CB TJ Carrie (Oak), RB Storm Johnson (Jax), PR Isaiah Burse (Den), KR/PR Purifoy (Ind), CB Andre Hal (Hou), CB Brandon Dixon (TB), FS Pierre Warren (NO), FS Jonathan Dowling (Oak), DT Share Stephen (Min), DT Beau Allen (Phi), OLB Kasim Edebali (NO), G James Fulton (KC), C Jonothan Harrison (Ind), T Seantrel Henderson (Buf), C James Stone (Atl), G Andrew Norwell (Car), David Foucault (Car), and C Luke Bowanka (Jax).