Lance Briggs’ tackling prowess was called into question in a now-deleted tweet by Bears safety Eddie Jackson.
That’s not a sentence I thought I’d be writing after Week 6 of the NFL season. But things happen when an active player digs up a 10-year-old tweet highlighting a former player’s issues after taking criticism from said player.
And in case you needed a reminder of Briggs’ excellence, one of his former teammates is on top of things:
I don’t know why but something made me wanna watch good Ol #55 play football today. Passion intensity toughness found in just 2 playoff games . Enjoy the thread pic.twitter.com/0ug0jSXOYx
— Olin kreutz (@olin_kreutz) October 18, 2021
— Olin kreutz (@olin_kreutz) October 18, 2021
— Olin kreutz (@olin_kreutz) October 18, 2021
— Olin kreutz (@olin_kreutz) October 18, 2021
Don’t let that Briggs stood next to Brian Urlacher take away from Briggs’ accomplishments. Briggs was an ace in the weak side outside linebacker role in Lovie Smith’s Tampa-2 defensive scheme. Let’s be real. Not everyone is cut out to play Derrick Brooks’ role in that defense. And Briggs was one of the chosen few. A third-round pick in 2003, Briggs earned seven trips to the Pro Bowl and a first-team All-Pro nomination during his 12-year Bears career. That’s what you get when you rack up 936 tackles, grab 16 interceptions, force 16 fumbles, recover 7 others, and score 6 defensive touchdowns.
It’s almost as if Jackson was in the wrong for coming at Briggs in the first place.
So, let this be a lesson to anyone who is extremely online — if you’re keeping receipts, make sure the numbers add up. You don’t want to miss as badly as some of the woeful tackling attempts we’ve seen this season.