Breaking Down What the Chicago Bears Can Expect from Alshon Jeffery
Published by Sigmund Bloom on June 1, 2012
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Chicago Bears
Alshon Jeffery was the subject of great debate during the 2012 NFL draft season. His weight, his speed, his dramatically different levels of production in 2010 and 2011, and his non-participation at the combine inspired many to take strong stances for and against Jeffery as a draft prospect.
The dual nature of the opinions in the draft community carries over to an inspection of his film and subsequent projection to what he’ll do with the Chicago Bears, who took Jeffery in the second round. Even taken in the most positive light, Jeffery looks like a player that will inspire agony and ecstasy from Bears fans, often in the same game.
For this exercise, I watched cut-ups of his games from 2010, his best year. No excuses of poor quarterback play can be made for Jeffery.
The first thing that stands out is that Jeffery is not fast or sudden. He’s not going to create great separation or make much happen after the catch. On the other hand, Jeffery displays a terrific knack for getting behind the defensive back in the red zone, creating touchdowns at :10, 3:13, and 3:45.
Another way Jeffery will make a big difference in the red zone is by high-pointing the ball. Jeffery’s 6’3″ frame comes into play here. He times his jumps very well and uses all of that on a touchdown at 1:15 and again on this reception vs. Florida State.
Jay Cutler has not had a big wide receiver that he can “throw open” like Jeffery during his time with the Bears, and you can bet that he’ll make 50/50 throws to Jeffery when the opportunity presents itself. Taking those kinds of chances can result in transcendental plays, like when Jeffery catches a deep ball with one hand while 2012 first-round pick Dre Kirkpatrick has a handful of his jersey:
Jeffery can frustrate smaller defensive backs, but he can also frustrate his teammates. In each game, he was the target on a ball that was intercepted. One was an underthrown ball, but Jeffery failed to create separation and didn’t turn into a defensive back when it was clear he wasn’t going to make the catch. Twice he got his hands on the ball and couldn’t hold on, leaving it hanging in the air for an interception. Notice the scoreboard on this one—nursing a seven-point lead in the fourth quarter is not when you want your star receiver to give the ball away:
In short, Jay Cutler and the Bears can expect many of Jeffery’s targets to inspire jubilation and terrific individual plays, but they won’t all be made by Jeffery.
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