Chicago Bears: Alshon Jeffery as valuable as any WR to his team

Just three wide receivers in the NFL have averaged more receiving yards per game this season than Chicago Bears No. 1 guy Alshon Jeffery, who has quite clearly shown that he doesn’t need Brandon Marshall to excel as Jay Cutler‘s top option.

In the Chicago Bears impressive, statement win in front of a national audience on primetime on Thanksgiving Day, Alshon Jeffery shined as much as anybody on the field. His seven receptions for 90 yards came as no surprise to those who have seen him dominate defensive backfields- and targets- all season long, and perhaps the only surprise is the fact that he didn’t exceed 100 receiving yards.

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With 100.8 yards per game, Jeffery is fourth in the league in that stat, as only Julio Jones, Antonio Brown, and DeAndre Hopkins average more. These three receivers are seen as the consensus top three receivers in the NFL right now, though some would place 2014 rookie sensation Odell Beckham Jr., who is riding a streak of three straight 100-yard games, above Hopkins.

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Had Jeffery not suffered an injury in Week 10 against the St. Louis Rams that forced him to absorb a season-low four targets, you can only imagine how many yards per game he would be averaging right now. Jeffery has been targeted at least 11 times in every game in which he’s been fully healthy, turning in over 75 receiving yards in all of those outings with three going for over 100 yards.

The Bears have suffered a myriad of injuries throughout the entire season on the offensive side of the ball, but Jeffery’s injuries have undoubtedly been the most damaging. I mean, Cutler has relied on him so much this year, sending double-digit targets in Jeffery’s direction without thinking twice.

Considering the fact that Jeffery is also sixth in the league with 7.2 receptions per game and averages 8.90 yards per target, it makes plenty of sense to target him often. He commands attention from defensive players both inside and out of the red zone, and yet he’s still able to efficiently turn his high target numbers into big-time yardage.

As such, Jeffery has been as valuable as any wide receiver in the NFL this season, and the Bears will continue to lean on him, in addition to crossing their fingers in the hopes that he can stay healthy. Injuries have already robbed him of playing in five of the team’s 11 games this year, but they haven’t robbed him of his ability to be the team’s best vertical- and, obviously, overall- threat this season.

Eddie Royal‘s injury issues and lack of production have made Jeffery’s star power all the more important for the Bears, and he seems matchup-proof at this point, particularly when looking at his target totals. He’ll get to feast on the San Francisco 49ers and Washington Redskins in the two games following his solid Thanksgiving Day performance against Green Bay, meaning that he could have a couple of more 100-yard outings under his belt to start December in the hopes of pushing his yards per game average even closer to the Nuk/Julio/AB realm.

At this point, it would be almost foolish to question Jeffery’s standing as one of the top ten receivers in the NFL right now, and Cutler’s reliance on him is evidence of this. Of course, it’s one thing to hoard targets and carry a passing attack, but it’s another to remain productive under these settings (Randall Cobb, unfortunately, is an example of a player who has been unable to do this). Like Jones, Hopkins, and Beckham Jr., Jeffery is averaging a robust yards per target average despite being the clear focal point for opposing defenses.

Sep 13, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bears wide receiver Alshon Jeffery (17) makes a catch against the Green Bay Packers during the second half at Soldier Field. Green Bay Packers defeats the Chicago Bears 31-23. Mandatory Credit: Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports

With good hands, plenty of long speed, great strength, and a massive catch radius, Jeffery continues to get better with age and is nearing the peak of his career at 25.

The Bears have seen Jeremy Langford turn into a rising star, Pernell McPhee shine on the defensive side of the ball, and Cutler play the best ball of his career under new offensive coordinator Adam Gase, but nobody has been better or more valuable to this team than Jeffery.

It’s crazy when you think about it this way, but, per Sporting Charts, Jeffery has as many first downs on the season as noted Miami Dolphins possession receiver and slot ace Jarvis Landry, despite playing in four less games.

He’s also been more efficient than every receiver except for Antonio Brown this season on a per route run basis, per Pro Football Focus, and that is the best way to measure efficiency for No. 1 receivers in this league.

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Having a high yards per target average is important, but it’s awfully hard to do that when you are being covered heavily by the opposition and face low-quality, desperation targets at times.

The onus is on stars like Jeffery to consistently get open, and he’s done just that. The Bears throw it to him 11.3 times per game, but he still averages triple-digit yards per game; now that’s what I call value.