As the Chicago Bears approach the final two games of the NFL season there is not much to play for. The team is probably better off losing with hopes of nailing the #1 overall pick than they are of winning. Still, while the roster is bare enough to lose without the help from the coaches, they should still be preaching a winning mentality.
The team is young and should be looking for signs of growth, or depth players who may stick around. One player that should be included is Velus Jones. Entering week 16, Jones had every box checked to be a bust.
Can Chicago Bears get more from Velus Jones?
He was demoted from punt return, he was inactive at times, and he had barely played a role in the offense. Perhaps only due to injuries across the board, the team needed Jones on Sunday and he had the best game of his career.
It was only 52 yards, but it nearly doubled his season total on just two catches. Even more stunning than that is the reality that Sunday was the first team he caught a pass beyond the line of scrimmage.
He entered the game with four catches, all of them being screens or jet sweeps. Just Fields was 0-3 targeting him down the field otherwise.
First, Velus Jones caught a slant route and picked up a quick eight yards. This was a simple hitter, but we have hardly seen the team ask Jones to do this.
They have asked Jones to go deep, and one pass he was open and dropped against the Cowboys. Still, they had him go deep again, and this time he hauled in a 44-yard pass. Slowly easing him into the mix with some slants and a go-ball here and there was supposed to be the next step in his development, it just took a bit longer than the team would have liked.
Now, they need him to start stacking these moments. One catch is great, but if he follows this with a nothing burger, or another drop next week, it was obviously just a flash in the pan. The Chicago Bears need to get him on the field often to close out the season. They need to ask him to run routes, not worry about creating opportunities for him. If he gets open he can create for himself. We will see if there is any growth coming.