Kicking himself? Why Bears rookie WR Velus Jones Jr. admits he should have let ball hit the ground

Returning punts in the NFL isn’t as easy as it looks, something Bears rookie wide receiver Velus Jones Jr. has found out the hard way.

Jones has muffed two balls in the past three weeks – one against the Giants that destroyed a last-minute comeback chance; and one on Thursday that resulted in Washington’s game-winning TD with 7:21 remaining.

Jones, surrounded at his locker by 20-plus media members after the Bears’ 12-7 loss, owned up to the mistake and admitted he should have let the ball hit the ground.

“You know, I’m a man,” said Jones, whom the Bears drafted in the third round. “I own up to my mistakes. That was a devastating blow.”

On one hand, it’s easy to see why the Bears want Jones returning punts. Get him in the open field and he’ll use that 4.31 speed to dash around and past defenders.

The issue is experience. Jones played five seasons of college football – three for USC and two for Tennessee – and only returned 18 punts. All of them came during his final campaign.

Now you’re asking him to do that job in the NFL and handle all the pressure that comes with it.

Against Washington, Jones returned three punts for 15 yards, fair caught one, let the ball hit the turf twice and muffed one. He seems unsure of himself at times, which is not surprise considering everything going on around him.

“You’ve got to be aware of where people are,” said teammate Dante Pettis, who returned nine punts for touchdowns at Washington, an NCAA record. “It’s a feel thing too. If you feel like it’s hanging up for too long, you’ve just got to throw that (hand) up and fair catch it.

“You want to get a peek if you can and see if you have room, but a lot of times you don’t have that opportunity because you’re trying to track the ball.”

The Bears used Pettis while Jones was nursing a quad injury that kept him out of the first three games. Now in his fifth year, Pettis isn’t much of a threat to bust loose, but he’s reliable and has returned a combined 116 punts in college and the pros.

There are significant challenges to the position in the NFL, which Pettis talked about by his locker on Thursday.

“Man. That ball is up there,” Pettis said. “It’s hanging, especially at nighttime. It’s a solid brown ball. There’s no stripes on it, so it’s a little harder to see and read. And you’ve got dudes running 4.3, 4.2 on the outside coming down at you.

“So, yeah, it is a pressure-filled position. ... It’s a little different than college – (punters) boom that ball.”

Coach Matt Eberflus indicated all positions will be under review as the Bears (2-4) prepare to play at New England (2-3) on Oct. 24 for Monday Night Football.

Asked specifically about the punt returner, Eberflus said: “Yeah, we’re gonna have to look at that. The No. 1 job of any punt returner or kick returner is to catch the ball.”

Despite the two gaffes, Jones’ confidence remains high. He truly believes he’ll be a difference-maker soon.

Pettis agrees and continues to be there for his teammate.

“I try to talk to Velus a lot. Just teach him some things that I’ve learned,” Pettis said. “That’s obviously a tough situation. I know he feels terrible. Just got to wrap my arm around him; let him know there’s more football to play. ...

“He just can’t let that weigh him down. Everybody has one of those days and a play they wish they could get back. ... He’ll be a good player for us.”

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