Bear Digest

Is Velus Jones Jr. Through This Time? Maybe Not

Personnel usage became somewhat of an issue for the Bears after their 24-17 and Matt Eberflus had explain his thinking.

Gene Chamberlain

Ryan Bates (71) lines up next to center Coleman Shelton while Caleb Williams hollers out signals in Sunday's Bears win.
Ryan Bates (71) lines up next to center Coleman Shelton while Caleb Williams hollers out signals in Sunday's Bears win. / Andrew Nelles / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK
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Two Bears personnel decisions came under scrutiny following Sunday's 24-17 win over the Tennessee Titans.

The first was Velus Jones Jr. getting back into the game to play running back after he muffed a kickoff in the first half and then kicked the ball directly to charging Tennessee Titans coverage players while he tried to pick it up.

Eberflus had no problem getting Jones back into the game right away after that for the first carry of the second half, but not on kick return. Instead DeAndre Carter became kick returner and later broke a 67-yarder to set up a field goal.

jones had two runs for 11 yards and an 8-yard catch in the game. Meanwhile, wide receiver Tyler Scott and running back Roschon Johnson were kept inactive while Jones played.

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“I was proud of Velus Jones," Eberflus said. "I really was. I know that wasn't what he wanted, obviously. I thought we responded well on defense knowing we held them to three points in that particular case. So that's what we call sudden change. That's how we operate.

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"But he did a nice job coming in at the halfback position, did a nice job getting north. I thought he did well."

As for future kick returns? It sounded a little less rosy.

"We'll evaluate in terms of kick return as we go," Eberflus said.

The other unclear situation was at right guard where Nate Davis started. He soon came out of the game, though, and Ryan Bates, now  healthy after an injury in training camp, came in and played.

“That was the plan," Eberflus said. "Both guys were dealing with health issues during training camp.

'We wanted to make sure they could finish the game. So we were going two (series) and two (series apiece) there."

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

BearDigest.com publisher Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.