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Chicago Bears: Alshon Jeffery clearly a true No. 1 receiver

By Kevin Parvizi

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In 2013, Chicago Bears wide receiver Alshon Jeffery came out of nowhere in his second season out of South Carolina to give his team arguably the league’s finest WR duo, as he and Brandon Marshall absolutely tore up defensive backfields all season long. Jeffery’s circus catches, memorable performances, and ability to burn defenses downfield with his size made him a rising star and one of the most dynamic wide receivers in the league.

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Jeffery followed up his 89-catch, 1,421-yard 2013 campaign with less gaudy numbers last season, but he still managed to catch 85 passes for 1,133 yards despite playing in a much less effective offense. Instead of catching passes from an impressive Jay Cutler and an absolutely on-fire Josh McCown, Jeffery had to deal with a very disappointing Cutler and received much more attention from opposing defensive backs with Brandon Marshall either injured or struggling in what was a down year for the current New York Jets wideout.

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And while Jeffery’s yardage numbers and yards per reception (16.0 to 13.3) slipped, he was still quite effective last year in the midst of the Bears unforeseen struggles on offense (coming into the season, most of us thought that they would be a juggernaut on that side of the ball).

The 6’3″, 216-pound wideout caught ten touchdowns in 2014 after scoring seven times the previous year, and he continued to look like an imposing threat in the red zone with his body control, ability to high-point the ball, and solid hands.

In fact, “solid” is an adjective that can be used to describe Jeffery’s 2014 season as a whole and not just his hands. Last season, the 25-year-old led the Bears with 7.8 yards per target, receiving yards, and targets. Jeffery was the only pass-catcher on the team who could stretch the field on a consistent basis, and he clearly outplayed Marshall. Additionally, he led the team with 145 targets, usurping Marshall as Cutler’s main weapon just one season after breaking out.

According to Jeff Dickerson of ESPN Chicago, Cutler recently stated his belief that Alshon Jeffery is a true No. 1 receiver in this league, “I don’t see why [Jeffery can’t be the No. 1]. He makes big plays for us, he knows the offense, he’s a big target, and I think more importantly that’s the guy he wants to become. He wants to become the No. 1 everyday out here, and he’s taking the proper steps.”

That’s nice praise, but it might not even be heavy enough. For starters, the fact that Jeffery led the Bears with 23.8% of the team’s total passing attempts heading in his direction, as per Advanced Football Analytics, shows me that he was already the Bears No. 1 receiver last season. And even though the Bears offense struggled, Jeffery, along with Martellus Bennett and Matt Forte, were clearly not to blame. After all, Jeffery caught double-digit TDs and was the only 1,000-yard pass-catcher, so he was obviously doing something right.

Moreoever, he did a whole lot right last season for the Bears offense, as Pro Football Focus tracked him with a 105.0 WR Rating, which means that Cutler and Jimmy Clausen had a 105.0 QB Rating when targeting Jeffery. This, of course, comes despite the fact that those two passers had an 87.3 QB Rating in between them with 561 of their 609 attempts coming from Cutler’s arm.

It doesn’t stop there either, as Jeffery’s drop rate was the 16th-lowest out of 50 qualifiers, per PFF, tying him with Tampa Bay Buccaneers sure-handed standout rookie Mike Evans.

Needless to say, Jeffery was the Chicago Bears leader in most of the important pass-catching stats, save for the ones that are easier for possession-type receivers to lead in (Bennett led the Bears in both receptions and catch rate).

Last season, the Bears didn’t really spread the ball around, so Jeffery, Marshall, Bennett, and Forte all had over 100 targets with no other pass-catcher receiving more than Marquess Wilson‘s 32. And he was injured for half of the season with a broken collarbone. In 2015, Marshall won’t be catching passes, but the Bears have considerably more depth on their hands with a healthy Wilson and the additions of two big contributors in dynamic rookie Kevin White and slot man Eddie Royal, who is coming off of a quietly solid season with Philip Rivers and the San Diego Chargers.

Dec 21, 2014; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bears wide receiver Alshon Jeffery (17) against the Detroit Lions at Soldier Field. The Lions defeated the Bears 20-14. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports

Jeffery has shown that he can do everything a No. 1 receiver can do, and he’s the clear “X” option in the Bears offense. He can win in the end zone with ease, he’s absolutely dominant at the catch point (some of his catches are just unreal), and he has more than enough speed to burn defenses downfield.

Adding White gives Jeffery a more dynamic No. 2 receiver than Marshall was last year, and while Marshall was a dependable wideout during his time in Chicago, he wasn’t exactly at his best last season.

With Royal and White on the team and hopeful improvement from Cutler, Jeffery’s numbers could look even more like a true No. 1 receiver’s than they did last year.

Cutler’s statement doesn’t come as a surprise to me, and the real surprise would be if many people actually disagreed with him; Jeffery already proved himself last year by easily outplaying every other pass-catcher on the team and putting up impressive, No. 1-like numbers.

Next: Bears: Projecting starters on offense

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