NEWSLETTER
Eddie Jackson is having a rough go of it to start the 2021 season.
His 53.4 grade from PFF ranks 67th among 86 qualifying safeties. And if this trend continues, it would be his worst-graded year of his career. Not only are we looking at a steep fall from the 93.2 grade Jackson put up in 2018, but also it’s been a steady tumble that features him making in headlines for the wrong reasons. In turn, fans are growing more frustrated with Jackson’s play.
And this isn’t going to help turn them in his favor:
Good morning. pic.twitter.com/wZCdl7cBX1
— Chris Emma (@CEmma670) October 18, 2021
Now, don’t get me wrong. I appreciate a level of petty that comes with a good clap-back. And that Jackson went 10 years in the way-back machine is next-level petty. But this feels so out of place and going after Lance Briggs is a rough look. Because in addition to being a fan favorite as a player, Briggs is an analyst whose insight is fair, honest, and representative of how Bears fans are feeling. In other words, a shot at Briggs feels like a jab at fans who hold the same sentiment.
And it’s not as if Briggs is wrong with his assessment:
"You have to make that play" – @LanceBriggs to Eddie Jackson pic.twitter.com/i71PgLcSYQ
— Bears Talk (@NBCSBears) October 17, 2021
If you can’t watch the video and hear Briggs’ words, here they are:
“Eddie Jackson. We’ve talked to this before, and his name keeps coming up for the wrong reasons. His name keeps coming up for reasons as, you are the safety, you are the last line of defense. When you come up and you make that hit on Davante Adams, and he gets past you, it’s going to be a touchdown! You have to make that play. Get him down by any means necessary. Don’t care how you do it. Even if you get the worst flag, still keeps him out of the end zone. But you got to find a way to get him down.”
Again, Briggs isn’t out-of-bounds with his critique. Jackson’s missed plays have been costly this season, and there have been far too many in recent years. But what might be the worst thing to come from this is Jackson seemingly having rabbit ears about an honest criticism. This is bothersome, as the last thing on Jackson’s mind should be digging up cold tweets in his defense.
Maybe this will pass as quickly as it came. But that we are discussing this moment as another data point showcasing Jackson’s decline isn’t where we thought we’d be after he signed his extension. And because there are no easy outs of Jackson’s deal after a recent restructuring, he must either get it together or prepare to take more criticism of his declining play. Talk about a lose-lose situation. And after another loss to the Packers? Double ouch.
