The Chicago Bears remade their wide receiving corps extensively in the offseason. Most of the focus was on their two big additions. It started with veteran Olamide Zacchaeus, brought over from Washington to play the slot in Ben Johnson's new offense. Then it was Luther Burden, a 2nd round pick out of Missouri. It was easy to forget the team made another notable addition that faded into the background after training camp started. That was Devin Duvernay, a former 3rd round pick of the Baltimore Ravens, who earned two Pro Bowl nods as a special teams player.
However, he seemed to have regressed in the past couple of seasons, failing to do much in Jacksonville last year. This opportunity in Chicago felt like one of his few remaining chances. For almost three months, his name was almost never spoken. Then on Sunday, with the Bears in desperate need of a spark, Duvernay answered the bell with a 57-yard kick return.
That huge play enabled the Bears to drain the rest of the clock, inching the ball inside 50 yards, which is the preferred range for kicker Cairo Santos. On a 48-yard attempt, he took care of the rest, pushing the Bears to 7-3 and all but crushing Minnesota's playoff hopes.
This is why judging every Chicago Bears move immediately is never wise.
People thought that because Duvernay didn't make an instant impact, he was a wasted move. That spot would've been better served with a younger player. This guy didn't have it anymore. However, Duvernay didn't suddenly forget how to return kicks. All he needed was the right opportunity. Inexplicably, the Vikings gave it to him right when they'd finally taken control of the game. It was a backbreaker. Rather than risk doing something stupid, Coach Johnson did something he usually doesn't. He played clock ball. The Bears ran it twice, forced Minnesota to burn their timeouts, and left it to Santos with four seconds left.
Like it or not, it was the right call. The Chicago Bears managed the situation beautifully, leaving no room for the Vikings to slither their way out of it, as they did on opening day two months ago. It was a fitting bit of revenge for the team as they continue pushing toward their first winning season in seven years.
