Is week 14 really the time to discover this "new" player? Only after being the surprise of training camp and the OTA's, after getting his name mentioned in nearly every interview by nearly every offensive player or coach in preseason, after winning the #3 WR job before week 1 (only to have an injury setback give Johnny Knox a chance), after Jay Cutler continually mentioning him as a guy that he'd like to see get some more snaps in recent weeks, and after Devin Hester is inactive for the game, does Devin Aromashodu finally get some extended playing time. D.A. was targeted 12 times, making 8 grabs for 76 yards and a TD, a really athletic TD.
At first I thought Cutler was just targeting D.A. so often to make a point, but then I realized he was getting open. He was running good routes and he was making good catches. After spending time in the Colts system, it makes sense that he'd be the most polished WR on the team. And it took until game 13 and an injury to Hester to get him on the field for more than a token snap or two. Sad...
After Kahlil Bell was elevated from the practice squad and had that storybook debut run, word from the coaches was that he always looked good in practice, but you never know until you get on the big stage. And you'll never know if you don't have the cojones to get said player on the big stage. Can Jarron Gilbert or Gaines Adams be any worse then what the Bears are putting out there on the D-Line now? Get them some extended time. It's not like you have Dan Hampton manning the trenches, get some new blood in there. Did the Corey Graham to free safety experiment go so horribly wrong that is just ended without any game time?
I'm not lauding Aromashodu as the second coming of Marcus Robinson... I'm just saying that the kid should have been given an opportunity. The Packers did seem to make more of an effort in locating D.A. as the game wore on, but Johnny Knox was able to have a career day. Two career days for two Bears receivers, who'd a thunk it?