Tag: Velus Jones

6 takeaways from the Bears’ cold loss to the Bills

From Khalil Herbert’s surprising ineffectiveness to Kyler Gordon’s strong outing, here are out takeaways from the Bears’ loss to the Bills.

It hasn’t exactly been a December to remember if you’re a Chicago Bears fan. Despite having all their games this month at home in Soldier Field, they lost all three of their games, the latest coming against the Buffalo Bills 35-13 in frigid conditions. It was their most lopsided loss of the season as the Bears dropped eight straight games to fall to 3-12 on the season.

The offense failed to establish the run game, leading to major problems moving the ball and getting into a rhythm. The defense, meanwhile, couldn’t stop the Bills from running all over them and a close game at halftime turned into a blowout.

With injuries piling up and only two games to go, many are looking forward to the end of the season. And having to endure the bitter cold in a lost season on top of it, should this game simply go straight into the trash? Here are our takeaways from the Bears’ Christmas Eve loss.

Tunnel Vision

Tunnel Vision – a look back at Sunday for fantasy free agents, injuries and notable performances.

SUNDAY SALUTES
Quarterbacks Pass-Rush TD
 Dak Prescott 347-41 3
Gardner Minshew 355-5 3
Jared Goff 355-15 3
 Joe Burrow 375-5 3
 Josh Allen 172-41 3
Running Backs Rush
Receive		 TD
Saquon Barkley 14-84
8-49		 1
D’Onta Foreman 21-165 1
Derrick Henry 23-126
2-0		 1
Devin Singletary 12-106
2-19		 1
Alvin Kamara  20-76
2-34		 1
Wide Receivers Yards TD
CeeDee Lamb 10-120 2
DeVonta Smith 8-113 2
Justin Jefferson 12-133 1
Tee Higgins 8-128 1
Jaylen Waddle 5-143 1
Tight Ends Yards TD
T.J. Hockenson 13-109 2
George Kittle 6-120 2
Tyler Higbee
Shane Zlystra 5-26 1
Evan Engram 7-113 0
Placekickers XP FG
Brett Maher 4 4
Mason Crosby 2 4
Eddy Pineiro 4 3
Robbie Gould 4 3
Riley Patterson 1 4
Defense Sack – TO TD
Packers 2-4 0
Rams 6-3 1
Patriots 2-3 1
Eagles 6-1 1
Steelers 3-3 0

Bumps, Bruises and Bowouts

QB Taylor Heinicke (WAS) – Benched
RB Travis Homer (SEA) – Ankle
RB Jordan Mason (SF) – Hamstring
WR Christian Watson (GB) – Hip
TE Hunter Henry (NE) – Knee
TE Greg Dulcich (DEN) – Hamstring

Chasing Ambulances

This week was extraordinarily light for injuries. Yes, many players may have disappeared right when you needed them and ended up with a choke job.

But injuries were not your problem this week and that makes losing a playoff game hurt just a bit more.

WR Christian Watson (GB) – The Packers’ top rookie receiver was held out of the second half with a hip injury. He said himself that he’ll be “all right,” so the injury may not play into this week when they face the visiting Vikings.

TE Greg Dulcich (DEN) – He caught his second touchdown of the season and then was ruled out with a hamstring injury during the fourth quarter in the loss to the Rams. There was no prognosis after the game and he will be examined on Monday to determine the severity and see if he can participate in the loss game in Kansas City.

Free Agents, Flops and Other Notables

QB   Gardner Minshew (PHI) The Eagles may have lost to the Cowboys, but don’t blame Minshew in his first start this season. He passed for 355 yards and two touchdowns, plus ran in a third score. Granted, Minshew threw two interceptions and fumbled twice and lost one. But his first start was on the road against the Cowboys and he produced two 100-yard receivers.

The Eagles suddenly are weighing Jalen Hurts playing to get that one more win that ensures the No. 1 seed,  but will they need to when the 6-9 Saints show up next week?

QB Brock Purdy (SF) – The rookie is hardly irrelevant after winning all three starts and setting a franchise record by throwing for two touchdowns in back-to-back games to the tight end George Kittle. He’s logged three straight 100+ point QB ratings to start his career. He’s a game manager so far, and that’s all the 49ers needed him to be. He threw for 234 yards and two scores against the Commanders.

QB Baker Mayfield (LAR) – He’s 2-1 as the Rams starter while taking over a rudderless ship that had almost no crew from when the season started.  Mayfield had his best effort yet with 230 yards and two scores in the win over the Broncos. His final two games are on the road where he’s yet to win, but at least he’s getting positive game film out there to help next year when he signs on with yet another team and new set of coaches.

TE Evan Engram (JAC) – A number of Jaguars have helped their fantasy stock for next year, but perhaps none has rekindled his career like Engram who only signed a one-year contract with the Jaguars. Engram scored four times this year and his 113-yard, seven-catch performance at the Jets was his second 100-yard game in the last three weeks.

QB Zach Wilson (NYJ) – The former first-round pick struggled this year but he threw for only 77 yards in Week 11 at the Patriots and was benched for Mike White. Wilson was called back while White nursed broken ribs. The once-impressive Jets lost their last four games and at 7-8 are in real jeopardy of missing the playoffs. Wilson did it again in Week 16 when he only completed 9-of-18 for 92 yards in the loss against the visiting Jaguars. He missed passes so badly that it’s fair to question if Wilson has the ability to play in the NFL.  HC Robert Saleh wouldn’t talk about Wilson afterward, but he has to figure out what his Plan C is.

QB Desmond Ridder (ATL) – His first start was when he only passed for 97 yards at the Saints, but Ridder showed better talent on Saturday when he threw for 218 yards at the Ravens. He hasn’t shown much as a runner yet, but he has a home game against the Steelers this week and then the final week at the Bengals.

WR DJ Chark (DET) – He only caught one pass for 18 yards in Week 15 to remind you why he was thrown onto the waiver wire back in Week 4 when he went onto injured reserve. But Chark logged 90+ yards in three of the last four games, including a season-best four catches for 108 yards at the Panthers on Saturday.

WR Velus Jones (CHI) – It is minor, but the 3.07 pick this year who ran a 4.31 40-time at the Combine finally had more than one short catch. He’s been active for the last seven games and scored on his first NFL catch, but then hasn’t been any better than one short catch in any game. Against the Bills this week, he caught the typical eight-yard pass but also turned in a 44-yard catch at the end of the third quarter. He’s blazingly fast and has been the kick returner this year. But 2023 should see him do more – if Justin Fields can improve as a passer.

QB Deshaun Watson (CLE) – The Browns’ new quarterback only threw for 135 yards and no score, with one interception in the loss to the Saints.  Over his four starts, he’s only thrown for two touchdowns against three interceptions and ran around 20 yards per game with one score ran in just last Saturday. It’s all part of shaking off the rust from nearly two years, but he hasn’t looked as Jacoby Brissett, so the hope is this is just the necessary work to get back in shape. But he’s brought the fantasy fortunes of the receivers down. Donovan Peoples-Jones only caught one pass for two yards in the loss this week.

TE T.J. Hockenson (MIN) – The Vikings midseason acquisition has been a valuable cog in the machine but no difference-maker. That changed in Week 16 against the Giants when he led the team with 13 catches for 109 yards and two touchdowns in the three-point win. Justin Jefferson (12-133, TD) still excelled but the other wideouts combined for only four catches and 23 yards. Hockenson should see better days in the playoffs when top secondaries do a better job against the starting wideouts.

QB Malik Willis (TEN) – The Titans choose the ex-Liberty quarterback with their 3.22 pick this year but three starts have failed to offer anything promising about the future. He took his third start of the year in Week 16 and only completed 14-of-23 for 99 yards and two interceptions. And that was better than his first two starts. The Titans just lost to the visiting Texans, 19-14, which alone indicates the alarm.

QB Kenny Pickett (PIT) – The rookie only passed for 244 yards and one score but he led the Steelers on a two-minute drive at the end of the game to throw a 14-yard touchdown to George Pickett with only 50 seconds left. The Steelers held on to win the game and Pickett has his first game-winning drive under his belt.

NFL Tight ends – In Week 14, tight ends accounted for only  six touchdowns and two went to Evan Engram. The previous week only saw four scores by the position. But Week 15 suddenly contained 17 touchdowns for tight ends and three turned in double scores. There were 14 in Week 16, excluding what may happen in tonight’s Monday night game against the Chargers and Colts.

There were four tight ends with multiple scores – George Kittle (6-120, 2 TD), T.J. Hockenson (13-109, 2 TD), Tyler Higbee (9-94, 2 TD), and Shane Zylstra (5-26, 3 TD). There were only three wideouts with double scores and that included Trenton Irwin (3-45, 2 TD) of the Bengals. Typically, tight ends score the most in the first month or so of the season, and then settled down. Week 16 was an aberration that helped fantasy leaguers in their playoffs – if they made it that far.

Huddle player of the week

Cam Akers  –  The Rams historically mediocre running back turned up his production for the last month with three scores and a couple of 60-yard performances. On Sunday against the Broncos, Akers ravaged their defense. He picked up chunks of yardage and ended with a career-best  23 carries for 118 yards and three touchdowns, plus two catches for 29 yards. Cam Akers was the highest-scoring fantasy play of Week 16 for quite the  Christmas present for those fantasy owners that were playing in their league playoffs.

Salute!

Drama 101 – Somebody has to laugh, somebody has to cry

Comedy Yards TDs Tragedy Yards TDs
QB Gardner Minshew 360 3 QB Deshaun Watson 154 1
RB D’onta Foreman 165 1 RB R. Stevenson 33 0
RB James Cook 108 1 RB Jamaal Williams 14 0
WR Kendrick Bourne 129 1 WR Christian Kirk 26 0
WR Isaiah Hodgins 89 1 WR Davante Adams 15 0
WR Trenton Irwin 45 2 WR Stefon Diggs 26 0
TE Shane Zylstra 26 3 TE Mark Andrews 45 0
PK Brett Maher 4  XP   4 FG PK Nick Folk   zippo
Huddle Fantasy Points = 163 Huddle Fantasy Points = 25

Now get back to work…

5 things to know about Bears WR Velus Jones Jr.

The Bears finally added a weapon for Justin Fields with the addition of WR Velus Jones Jr. in the NFL draft. Get to know the newest Bear.

After months of fans pining for a wide receiver in the 2022 NFL draft, the Chicago Bears granted their wish by selecting Velus Jones Jr. with their third-round pick at 71st overall.

Jones is a player still growing as a receiver, but has immense talent and speed who was a dynamic weapon for both Tennessee and USC during his lengthy collegiate career.

Jones was a stud on special teams for most of his collegiate career, scoring two return touchdowns. He finally saw extended time as a wide receiver for the Tennessee Volunteers last season, though and he ran (no pun intended) with his opportunity. Jones compiled 62 catches for 807 receiving yards and seven touchdowns during his final collegiate season.

He can be used in a variety of ways on the football field, but there’s much more to his story. Here’s five things to know about the newest Bears offensive playmaker.

Grading the Bears’ selection of WR Velus Jones Jr.

The Bears finally added a wide receiver with the selection of Velus Jones Jr. Here’s how we graded the pick.

After opting to go defense with the first two picks, Bears general manager Ryan Poles went out an added a speedy receiver in Tennessee’s Velus Jones Jr. with the 71st overall selection in the 2022 NFL draft.

Wide receiver was arguably the team’s biggest need heading into the draft, which wasn’t surprising considering Chicago’s receiving corp was led by Darnell Mooney and Byron Pringle. While the top wideout prospects were off the board in the second round — when the Bears went with safety Jaquan Brisker — they took a chance on Jones early in the third round.

Last season with Tennessee, Jones had 62 catches for 807 yards and seven touchdowns. Jones had 286 yards after contact, which ranked third among SEC wide receivers, according to Pro Football Focus.

Jones, who’s on the older side as a 25-year old rookie, isn’t the most polished receiver. But he’s a speedster, as evidenced by his 4.31 40-yard time. He’s one of the best run-and-catch wideouts in this draft class, and it’ll be interesting to see how Luke Getsy utilizes him on offense, especially as a deep threat. He’s also an impact player on special teams, where he figures to fill the hole left by Jakeem Grant in the kick return game.

Jones projects as a WR3 for the Bears behind Mooney and Pringle. He’s a developmental prospect at receiver, but he’s certainly got an intriguing skillset to work with. Jones also figures to contribute on special teams in the return game, where his speed and explosiveness can help with field position.

There’s certainly potential with Jones, who’s the best yards-after-the-catch receiver in this draft class. But it might’ve been a reach on Chicago’s part to select him with the seventh pick in the third round.

Grade: C

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Bears 2022 NFL draft tracker: Pick-by-pick analysis

Follow along with Bears Wire’s NFL draft tracker, where we’ll have player information and analysis of each selection.

The 2022 NFL draft is upon us, and new Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles has started building his first rookie draft class.

The Bears entered the draft with just six selections, including a pair of second-round picks and a high third-round selection. Chicago had a slew of needs to address, including wide receiver, offensive line, cornerback and safety.

Here’s a look at the Bears’ draft picks (entering the second round):

  • Round 2, Pick 39
  • Round 2, Pick 48
  • Round 3, Pick 71
  • Round 5, Pick 148
  • Round 5, Pick 150
  • Round 6, Pick 186

Follow along with Bears Wire’s draft tracker, where we’ll have player information and analysis of each selection. Keep checking back for updates!

Twitter reacts to Bears selection of WR Velus Jones Jr. in NFL draft

The Bears finally drafted a wide receiver in Velus Jones Jr. in the third round. Are fans happy now?

At long last, the Chicago Bears and general manager Ryan Poles selected a wide receiver in the 2022 NFL draft. The Bears picked Tennessee wide receiver Velus Jones Jr. in the third round with the 71st overall pick.

It’s the first offensive player picked for the Bears in the draft after they spent their earlier two picks on cornerback Kyler Gordon and safety Jaquan Brisker.

Jones Jr. has the ability to be a weapon on both offense and special teams. He was primarily used as a returner for much of his collegiate career at both USC and Tennessee. It wasn’t until his final season as a Volunteer where he developed into an effective receiving threat on offense.

The pick satisfies a need on offense, but judging from social media, it doesn’t appear fans are thrilled with the selection.

Instant analysis of Bears’ 71st overall pick WR Velus Jones Jr.

The Bears selected WR Velus Jones Jr. with the 71st overall pick, giving Justin Fields a new weapon to play with.

With the 71st pick in the third round, the Bears selected Tennessee wide receiver Velus Jones Jr. giving quarterback Justin Fields another weapon to work with.

Jones began his career at USC before transferring to Tennessee in 2020. He was first-team All-SEC (all-purpose) and is a threat as a return specialist.

Right now, he’s more of an athlete than a receiver but is speedy and great with the ball in his hands (just look at his 4.31 40-yard dash). While he’s unpolished as a wide receiver, he can turn short routes into significant gains.

While he develops as a wide receiver, he’ll immediately fill the gap left by Jakeem Grant as the starting kick and punt returner. Jones will also serve as a deep threat in the offense, likely opening things up for other receivers underneath.

He’s a 25-year-old rookie that took advantage of his COVID year. In five years, he had 1,434 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns. He also had one rushing touchdown and two return touchdowns.

Bears select WR Velus Jones with 71st overall pick in NFL draft

Justin Fields has a new weapon. The Bears have selected WR Velus Jones with the 71st overall pick in the 2022 NFL draft.

[mm-video type=video id=01g1w2w7sf6w9093bfd5 playlist_id=01eqbve7kb6he6scwe player_id=none image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01g1w2w7sf6w9093bfd5/01g1w2w7sf6w9093bfd5-12f9d61067f128c566a5e6b2acc18b5d.jpg]

The Chicago Bears selected Tennessee wide receiver Velus Jones with the 71st overall pick in the 2022 NFL draft.

After targeting defense with their first two picks, general manager Ryan Poles finally got some help for quarterback Justin Fields in the form of a new weapon in Jones.

Last year with the Vols, Jones had 62 receptions for 807 yards and seven touchdowns. Jones had 286 yards after contact, which ranked third among SEC wide receivers, per Pro Football Focus. Jones is also an explosive kick returner.

Here’s what NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein had to say about Jones:

Special-teams specialist with good size. Despite spending six seasons in college between his time at USC and Tennessee, Jones has very modest production as a wideout, but flashed potential in that area in 2021. He’s fearless with the ball in his hands after the catch and as a kick returner. He’s not a very fundamentally sound route-runner but might not need to be if teams view him as a catch-and-run specialist in the quick game underneath. Jones has a chance to ride his special teams versatility into a specialist spot on a roster.

Wide receiver was arguably Chicago’s biggest need heading into the draft, and Poles waited until the third round to address it. Jones joins a receiving corps led by Darnell Mooney, who’s the undisputed WR1 right now. The Bears added some depth options in Byron Pringle and Equanimeous St. Brown in free agency.

The Bears have three selections remaining on Day 3, including a pair of fifth-round picks (148th and 150th overall) and a sixth-round selection (186th overall).

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Packers hosting Tennessee WR/KR Velus Jones on official pre-draft visit

Speedy Tennessee WR and KR Velus Jones is in Green Bay for a pre-draft visit with the Packers.

The Green Bay Packers are hosting Tennessee receiver and returner Velus Jones Jr. on a pre-draft visit. Jones revealed he was in Green Bay on his official Instagram account on Tuesday night.

Jones played four seasons at USC before transferring to Tennessee. He will turn 25 years old in May.

Jones is headed to the NFL after producing 2,973 kick return yards and 4,7738 all-purpose yards at the college level.

Over two seasons and 23 games at Tennessee, Jones caught 84 passes for 1,087 yards and 10 touchdowns. He returned 41 kickoffs for 1,026 yards (25.0 yards/return) and one touchdown. He also returned 18 punts for 272 yards (15.1). In all, Jones produced 2,416 all-purpose yards.

In 2021, Jones was the Co-SEC Special Teams Player of the Year.

Jones (5-11, 204) ran the 40-yard dash in 4.31 seconds, hit 33″ in the vertical leap and covered 10-1 in the broad jump at the NFL Scouting Combine. His Relative Athletic Score is 9.05 out of 10.

Brennen Rupp of Packers Wire believes Jones could be the best return man in the draft class. And he’ll add value on offense in the right scheme.

“Jones is an explosive player. He’s dangerous with the ball in his hands and shows good elusiveness in the open field. He is tough as nails and will fight for extra yards. He can be utilized on jet sweeps and screens. The name of the game is to get the ball in his hands and let him put stress on the defense.”

The Packers can meet with 30 prospects before the draft. The team has used four visits on receivers: Jones, Treylon Burks, Tyquan Thornton and George Pickens.

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2020 UT football player card: Velus Jones Jr.

2020 UT football player card: Velus Jones Jr.

Velus Jones Jr, wide receiver (No. 13)

Class: Redshirt senior

Height: 6-0

Weight: 202

Hometown: Saraland, Alabama

High School: Saraland

A USC transfer, Jones decided to play out his final season of college football closer to his hometown in Alabama, and for one of his former coaches in Tennessee passing game coordinator Tee Martin. Martin held the same role at USC during Jones’ time there.

Jones had his best receiving season in 2018, catching 24 balls for 266 yards and a touchdown for the Trojans. His biggest impact came as a kick returner, returning 30 kickoffs for 704 yards and a touchdown in 2019. Jones’ speed will add a valuable asset to UT’s wide receiver core and special teams unit.

2020 Tennessee football schedule

  • Sept. 5 vs. Charlotte (Knoxville)
  • Sept. 12 at Oklahoma (Norman)
  • Sept. 19 vs. Furman (Knoxville)
  • Sept. 26 vs. Florida (Knoxville)
  • Oct. 3 vs. Missouri (Knoxville)
  • Oct. 10 at South Carolina (Columbia)
  • Oct. 17 OPEN DATE
  • Oct. 24 vs. Alabama (Knoxville)
  • Oct. 31 at Arkansas (Fayetteville)
  • Nov. 7 vs. Kentucky (Knoxville)
  • Nov. 14 at Georgia (Athens)
  • Nov. 21 vs. Troy (Knoxville)
  • Nov. 28 at Vanderbilt (Nashville)