Tag: Velus Jones Jr.

Matching Chicago Bears with Taylor Swift songs from Midnights

That’s right, we took each song from Taylor Swift’s new album, Midnights, and matched it with a member of the Bears.

We’re about at the halfway point of the 2022 NFL season and it’s been a long couple months for the Chicago Bears.

There have been the highs like the Week 1 shocking victory over the San Francisco 49ers, the dominating win against the New England Patriots, as well as Justin Fields’ emergence and the elite rushing attack.

There have also been low moments, such as the blowout loss to the Dallas Cowboys, offensive line issues, defensive breakdowns, and even heartbreaking trades. It’s been so dramatic, Taylor Swift might as well write an album about it.

The superstar singer obviously isn’t going to do that, but she did recently release her latest album Midnights that has millions of people still obsessed with the music, storylines, and meaning of the songs. So why not put our own twist on it and see if we can match them up with the Bears?

That’s right, we took each song from Swift’s latest album and matched it up with a player or front office member based on the title and lyrics because actual football analysis can wait a day.

Just make sure you suspend your disbelief. After all, Swift’s songs are all basically focused on her dating life and don’t really delve into football. But let’s begin in chronological order.

WATCH: Justin Fields sprints for a TD to get the Bears on the board

Justin Fields used his running ability to gash the Dallas Cowboys defense to put the Bears on the board.

The Chicago Bears were staring into a 14-0 hole against the Dallas Cowboys after falling behind early. But Justin Fields took matters into his own hands to stop the bleeding.

On the Bears’ second drive of the game after Dallas went up by two scores, Fields and the offense manufactured a drive that spanned 12 plays and went for 75 yards. 32 of those yards were thanks to Fields and his running ability as he had two big gains before dashing into the end zone for the three-yard touchdown.

It wasn’t just Fields though. Rookie wide receiver Velus Jones Jr. got things started with a jet sweep that went for 18 yards early in the drive, his longest play on offense to start his career. It was a nice response for the Bears but it could be all for not. The Cowboys continue to jump all over the defense and lead 28-7 close to the end of the second quarter.

8 takeaways from the Bears’ pitiful loss to the Commanders

Thursday’s performance against Washington was one of the worst losses in recent memory for the Bears. Here are our takeaways from the game.

It wasn’t the primetime game anyone wanted and it wasn’t the one we deserved, either. The Chicago Bears and Washington Commanders met up at a windy and blustery Soldier Field on Thursday night, their first matchup in The Windy City since 2016. It was the battle between one team trying to desperately capture lightning in a bottle with a has-been quarterback amidst growing pressure against their ownership. The other is a team who embodies squads from yesteryear, showcasing a putrid offense with a defense that can make the stops when necessary.

All of that was on display when the Commanders defeated the Bears 12-7. The Bears had ample opportunities to make a statement with three trips to the redzone, but came away with nothing but disappointment after failing to score a single point. Washington could barely move the ball, yet found a way to come out on top, mainly thanks to a costly turnover on special teams.

It’s a game that will sting for days seeing as the Bears don’t play again for a week and a half, but perhaps that will allow time to make necessary changes that improve the product on the field. Regardless, this one hurts. Here are our takeaways from Thursday’s loss.

Change could be coming at returner after Bears rookie Velus Jones muffs another punt

Velus Jones muffed his second punt in three games, costing the Bears a chance at victory. Matt Eberflus indicated a change could be coming.

For the third straight game, a fumble cost the Chicago Bears a chance at victory. And for the second time in the last three weeks, it was rookie receiver Velus Jones Jr. who was responsible.

The Bears held a 7-6 lead with eight minutes left in the game, and the offense was going to get a chance to milk the clock and try to move it down the field. Unfortunately, Jones muffed the punt on his own 9-yard line as the ball went off his facemask. While Jones tried to get on top of it, it was recovered by the Commanders on Chicago’s 4-yard line.

“It wasn’t a smart play,” said Jones Jr. “I’m a man, I own up to my mistakes and that was a devastating blow. We wouldn’t be in that situation if that punt wasn’t muffed.”

Bears coach Matt Eberflus hinted that a change could be coming at returner after Jones’ second muffed punt in three games.

“Yeah, we are going to have to look at that,” Eberflus said. “Number one job of kick returner or punt returner is to any catch the ball, so we are going to have to look at that.”

The Bears have plenty to clean up after another ugly loss, especially on offense. The fact that they’ve fumbled away potential victory in three straight games is something they need to remedy. And that could start with taking Jones off special teams.

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Bears WR Velus Jones Jr. predicted his first career TD vs. Vikings

Bears rookie Velus Jones Jr. called his shot with his first NFL catch and touchdown.

Bears receiver Velus Jones Jr. called his shot against the Vikings.

After a costly muffed punt in his NFL debut last week against the Giants, the third-round rookie predicted he’d get his first NFL reception and touchdown in Week 5.

“I’m gonna do anything I can to get into the endzone. Yes, indeed,” Jones said earlier this week, via NBC Sports Chicago. “Whatever it takes. If somebody’s in my way, they better move because they’re gonna get run over.”

Jones played exclusively on special teams in Week 4 as he recovered from a hamstring injury. But on his first offensive snap against the Vikings, Jones scored a nine-yard touchdown on a jet sweep to bring the Bears to within five points.

The Bears opted to go for the two-point conversion to bring the game to within three points. But they failed to convert, making it 21-16 Vikings in the third quarter.

Bear Necessities: STC Richard Hightower hasn’t lost confidence in Velus Jones Jr.

Velus Jones Jr. had a costly muffed punt in his Bears debut, but the confidence hasn’t wavered heading into Sunday’s game vs. Vikings.

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Bears rookie Velus Jones Jr. made his NFL debut last week against the Giants, after missing the first three games with a hamstring injury. Jones played exclusively on special teams as a kickoff and punt returner.

Jones showed his speed and playmaking ability returning kicks, but there was one play that left a lasting impact. With 2:13 minutes left in the game (and the Bears trailing 20-12), Jones muffed a punt that the Giants recovered. It ultimately sealed the win for New York.

Despite that critical error, special teams coordinator Richard Hightower has confidence in Jones moving forward.

“I haven’t lost any confidence in Velus,” Hightower said. “I’m glad no one ever gave up on me the first mistake I made. That’s how guys get better. You’ve got to give him chances, you’ve got to give him opportunities, and he’s a special player. Nobody feels worse about that play than Velus does, so he’s right back out there. He’s ready to go.”

Jones will continue to return kickoffs and punts heading into Sunday’s matchup against the Vikings, and it sounds like he’s ready to make up for his costly mistake in his NFL debut.

“I think when, we are talking about V12, Velus, he is so confident, super confident,” Hightower said. “So that, I mean he was already talking about the next opportunity that he was going to get after that happened. Obviously, he didn’t feel great about that. He’s a confident person and we have all the confidence in the world in him. I can’t wait to see him return it again.”

5 Bold predictions for Bears’ Week 5 divisional game vs. Vikings

From a heavy dose of the running game to a strong rebound from Velus Jones Jr., here are our bold predictions for Bears vs. Vikings.

The Chicago Bears and Minnesota Vikings renew their divisional rivalry this weekend in Minneapolis. The Bears are coming off a dismal 20-12 loss against the New York Giants that dropped them to .500 and are looking for an offensive breakout to try and avoid having a losing record for the first time this season. The Vikings, meanwhile, are tied for the division lead at 3-1 and are coming off a nail-biting victory over the New Orleans Saints in London just one week ago. They will try and be rested enough to secure the win and keep their lead alive.

It’s going to be a tough game for the Bears but we’ve seen weird things happen in this series over the years that could turn the tide quickly. Here are our bold predictions ahead of Bears and Vikings.

7 Takeaways from the Bears’ sluggish loss to the Giants

From Justin Fields’ improvement to Luke Getsy’s situational playcalling issues, here are our takeaways from the Bears loss to the Giants.

The Chicago Bears traveled across the country to take on the New York Giants and the only points they scored were from a guy they signed off the street on Saturday as they lost 20-12. Kicker Michael Badgley, playing in place of Cairo Santos who missed the game due to personal reasons, accounted for all 12 points of the day with the Bears offense unable to find the endzone for the first time all year.

It was a lackluster performance for all phases. The offense struggled to stop the Giants pass rush, the defense couldn’t stop anyone running the ball, and a special teams blunder eliminated any hope of a comeback late in the game.

Despite playing the NFC East version of themselves, the Bears were outcoached and fall to 2-2 on the year. Here are our takeaways from the game.

Bears vs. Giants: Everything we know about Chicago’s Week 4 loss

The Bears had a brutal showing in a 20-12 loss to the Giants. We recap the game here:

The Chicago Bears lost to the New York Giants, 20-12, on Sunday. This loss breaks the Bears’ four-game winning streak against NFC East teams.

This game was a match-up against two rookie head coaches in Matt Eberflus and Brian Daboll. Daboll was one of the coaches rumored to come to Chicago to help the development of Justin Fields. Of course, the Bears ended up signing Eberflus, and the rest is history.

Coming off an ugly win against the Houston Texans, the Bears had another brutal showing against an underwhelming Giants team, where there are still questions on offense, defense and the coaching staff.

Let’s take a look at everything we know about Chicago’s Week 4 loss.

Studs and duds from Bears’ Week 4 loss vs. Giants

We’re taking a look at the studs (yes, there were a few) and duds from the Bears’ Week 4 loss to the Giants.

The Chicago Bears (2-2) were defeated 20-12 by the New York Giants (3-1), where it was an all-around brutal showing by the offense, defense, special teams and coaching staff.

This was the kind of loss where you really start to believe the Bears are the worst team in the NFL. After all, they were outplayed and out-coached by an underwhelming Giants team, where nothing seemed to work. While no one expected Chicago to be contenders this season, there are causes for concern about whether this coaching staff can develop young talent.

We’re taking a look at the studs (yes, there were a few) and duds from the Bears’ Week 4 loss against the Giants: