Last week ChicagoBears.com invited fans to select the Bears' top five plays of the season. Finishing in second place with 23 percent of the vote was Alshon Jeffery's 46-yard touchdown reception Dec. 1 in Minnesota.
Just when it seemed like Jeffery had reached the apex of his jump, he soared even higher over Vikings cornerback Chris Cook to haul in a long TD pass from Josh McCown in the left corner of the end zone.
Top Plays Countdown
- #5 - Marshall's spinning TD
- #4 – Hester’s punt-return TD
- #3 – Jeffery’s TD vs. Browns
"That ball hung up for a long time," coach Marc Trestman said after the game. "That was a great throw by Josh to keep it in bounds, but we all saw it. [Jeffery] exploded into the air and elevated."
Jeffery's TD gave the Bears a 20-10 lead in the third quarter. They ultimately lost the game 23-20 in overtime, but it certainly wasn't because of the talented second-year receiver.
Jeffery caught 12 passes for 249 yards and two touchdowns. In the process, he broke his own Bears record of 218 yards that he had set in a Week 5 loss to the Saints.
On the second play of the second half, Jeffery's 80-yard TD reception gave the Bears a 13-7 lead. Jeffery beat one-on-one coverage from Cook and then outran safety Jamarca Sanford. But his 46-yarder was even more spectacular.
"I saw the ball go up and a guy with big palms come out of nowhere to snag it," said fellow receiver Brandon Marshall. "It was one of the greatest catches I have ever seen."
