NEWSLETTER
The reports of the Chicago Bears’ defensive demise were greatly exaggerated. You know, maybe/hopefully.
Sure, it’s just one game. And it was played in a monsoon. But I found myself thinking back to my fact-finding mission during the Bears’ offseason search for a head coach, when we stumbled on this little factoid (from January 2022):
“For what it’s worth, the last time Eberflus was given a tough task, he passed with flying colors. Eberflus flipped a defense he inherited in 2017 that ranked 27th in Football Outsiders’ DVOA into a group that checked in with the eighth best DVOA in 2021. The glow-up was real in Indy. Admittedly, it is a taller mountain to climb in Chicago. But the reward at the end of the journey could be sweet.”
Ahhhh, memories!
I don’t want to jump the gun and full-on predict that lightning will strike twice. HOWEVA, it’s worth pointing out that the Colts defense went from ranking 27th in DVOA in 2017 to 11th in 2018. That’s a huge jump. In other words, Eberflus and his staff (mostly comprised of former Colts coaches) know what it takes to reach those heights. Having a sound scheme helps. Having solid coaching is also helpful. Buy-in from the players is of the utmost importance. But having playmakers is the straw that stirs this drink. And I think the Bears have some players.
Eddie Jackson Revenge Season is Underway
It had been 987 days since Eddie Jackson had come away with an interception, so of course he was going to be emotional once he finally got his hands on one:
How can you not feel good for Jackson in that moment? It felt like a flashback to 2018. And it was a welcome sight after Jackson was late on a coverage earlier in the game and was trucked by Deebo Samuel on the 49ers’ only touchdown. But as I often like to point out, it’s less about your fall and more about how you pull yourself up. Jackson showing he has some resiliency after a rough start to the game bodes well for this defense moving forward.
And if you were looking forward to seeing what a fresh set of eyes and new coaching staff could do for Jackson, then this is for you:
There was so much good stuff to pull from in this Jackson interception. It begins with Jackson, who is playing free, both literally (as a free safety) and figuratively (with a clean slate). I love that Jackson is a jack-of-many-trades as a DB. And that versatility will come in handy down the line. But as it stands, Jackson is at his best in a free safety role. As ESPN analyst Matt Bowen notes above, Jackson being the “robber” here has him well-positioned for the pick. But that’s just the beginning. We also see Jackson using his instincts and skills to make a play on the ball. That moment is at the intersection of good coaching, high-end player skills, and unteachable instincts.
And to think, Jackson probably could’ve had a pick-six if Lance threw a ball that his receiver (and Jackson) had to slide in order to snag.
Jaquan Brisker is a Ballhawk and a Storyteller
Who better to tell the story of BoJack’s impressive pick than his tag team partner at safety, rookie Jaquan Brisker.
Via the Chicago Tribune’s Dan Wiederer:
Jackson knew to keep both (49ers WR Jauan) Jennings and (QB Trey) Lance in his vision, ready to attack on a quick pass right in front of him.
Five seconds before the snap, many of the Bears defenders knew what Jackson could pull off three seconds after the snap.
“I was kind of peeking back out the corner of my eye, right back at Eddie,” rookie safety Jaquan Brisker said. “I knew he was going to get a pick.”
Sure enough, Lance tried the quick slant to Jennings and Jackson intervened. With a diving interception near midfield and a 26-yard return, Jackson provided arguably the biggest play of a spirited defensive effort in the Bears’ 19-10 season-opening win.
It’s not as if Brisker was just a spectator. The rookie safety played of each of the defense’s 68 snaps and chipped in with five special teams plays for good measure. Brisker was all over the field with 4 solo tackles, a tackle-for-loss, and a fumble recovery. Being at the right place at the right time was nice to see when it came to his recovery after a well-executed Peanut Punch. But this tackle-for-loss was equal parts being in the right place at the right time, reading the offense, and execution:
If you didn’t understand why the Bears doubled up on defensive backs in the second round of the 2021 NFL Draft, watch that sequence again and again until you do.
Dominique Robinson Has That Dawg In Him
PFF’s Brad Spielberger has rave reviews for the Bears’ fifth-round pick after a first review of the tape:
Seriously, who saw this coming?
Robinson is on the cusp of making a name for himself early. It wasn’t by much, but he did out-snap Trevis Gipson 28-26. For what it’s worth, Robinson made louder plays when he was on the field. If he keeps this up, that snap gap might widen. However, I wouldn’t want to throw too much too soon at the rookie. As it stands, the pass-rusher rotation featuring Robert Quinn, Al-Quadin Muhammad, GIpson, and Robinson has potential to wreck some offenses because the depth should keep everyone fresh.
You Simply Cannot Throw At Jaylon Johnson
Jaylon Johnson is hands down the Bears’ best cornerback. He has experience, good tape, and has been a starter in this league since Week 1 as a rookie. After being one of the NFL’s best breakup artists in Year 1, Johnson began his second year with an interception of Joe Burrow. And now he begins Year 3 like this:
The 49ers had no interest in targeting Johnson on Sunday. I can’t say I blame them.
We’ve seen Johnson get off to strong starts in each of his first two seasons. But we’ve never seen anything like this where a team avoids him at all costs. I wonder if this will be a trend as the year goes along. If it is, then others better be ready to take advantage of opportunities to make big plays.
Thankfully, for the Bears, they’ve got some guys willing, ready, and down for some action.
Chicago’s football team was never going to replace Khalil Mack and Akiem Hicks. But what the front office didn’t do was sit around and mope on it. Instead, they went about attacking offenses differently. So far, so good.
