Emma: Alshon Jeffery Reminded Us Of His Dominance
By Chris Emma--
(CBS) Alshon Jeffery sprinted out of the slot, with long strides toward the end zone. He pushed past a linebacker, finding the slightest bit of space between the cornerback and safety. Jay Cutler put the ball high and the Bears' human-highlight-reel receiver did the rest.
Leaping toward the Ford Field ceiling, Jeffery made one of those plays that few can make. He went up for the pass and brought it down between two defenders, a fourth-quarter touchdown that tied the Bears and Lions in their see-saw Sunday game.
Among the many negatives the Bears take from their 37-34 overtime loss to the Lions also came an important positive: Jeffery is back and in dominant form.
"I thought he played his tail off and made some big-time catches for us," Cutler said of Jeffery's performance.
In a contract season, striving for big money, Jeffery has been hampered by injuries. He suffered a calf injury during a walk-through before the first preseason game and missed the entire preseason slate. Then he dealt with a hamstring injury that kept him out for four weeks, that after playing Week 1 in the loss to Green Bay.
Jeffery's impressive touchdown reception was just one of many moments from a standout showing Sunday. In the second quarter, Cutler evaded pocket pressure and unleashed a bomb downfield for Jeffery, who beat Lions safety James Ihedigbo on a 45-yard strike. He was utilized on quick screens, a favorite of offensive coordinator Adam Gase, and delivered a big grab with 17 seconds left on a back-shoulder catch that helped set up the game-tying Robbie Gould field goal.
In total, Jeffery posted eight catches for 147 yards and a touchdown, while being targeted 11 times.
"It felt great to be back out there with my teammates," said the soft-spoken Jeffery, whose game does most of the talking.
Without Jeffery -- plus, with injuries to Eddie Royal, Kevin White and even Marquess Wilson for stretches -- the Bears had to make their passing game a conservative one. Gase was forced to dink and dunk rather than taking shots downfield. In leading the offense, Cutler had to make the most of replacement-level receivers.
Jeffery gives the Bears an important dynamic in their offense. He's a threat in the red zone, playing even bigger than his 6-foot-3 frame. He's physical and so tough to stop on deep balls, giving Cutler an important weapon. And just his presence alone means an opposing defense must choose to double team and give others more opportunity or take a chance one-on-one with Jeffery.
"He's just a difference-maker," Cutler said of Jeffery.
Cutler referred to his high level of comfort just having Jeffery on the field. The imposing receiver is a natural mismatch who makes the offense better. When healthy, Jeffery is an elite talent -- something he must continue to prove in this contract year.
What Jeffery's future holds with the Bears remains to be seen, as first-year general manager Ryan Pace must make important decisions this offseason -- weighing Jeffery's dominance with those nagging health concerns. But Jeffery may make the move fairly simple.
Few receivers in the NFL can deliver flare quite like Jeffery.
Follow Chris on Twitter @CEmma670.