Why Alshon Jeffery can challenge for title of best WR this season

Receivers for both the Chargers and the Bears are dropping like flies. Chicago went into the game without Eddie Royal and first round-pick Kevin White. The Chargers, meanwhile, lost Keenan Allen last week and then Malcom Floyd in the first half of last night’s game. One player who is most certainly back, though. is Alshon Jeffery. Despite playing in just four games this season, Jeffrey has been amongst the league’s best receivers.

Jeffery has only been on the field for four games this season, but his production when he has played has been unmatched. Last night, he caught 10-of-16 targets for 151 yards with one drop. Jeffery’s receiving grade was easily the highest in the game. It’s no coincidence that Cutler’s three best grades of the season have coincided with the return of his most dominant receiver. In fact, Jeffery’s production is outstanding relative to the other top pass catchers in the game. (He's No. 3 in our season grades, behind only Antonio Brown and Julio Jones, respectively.)

Extrapolating his grade over eight games would likely put Jeffery at number one, above Antonio Brown. That’s quite remarkable considering he has played nearly half the snaps compared with the players around him in the rankings. That grade is supported by a league-leading 3.32 yards per route run. Despite running just 148 routes, Jeffery has generated 492 yards. With receiving grades of +2.2 or better in each of his four games, he could yet challenge for the title of best-graded receiver this season.