Eddie Jackson’s Drought-Busting INT Has A Great Story Behind It
Two years. That is how long Eddie Jackson had gone without an interception. It was a stretch that nobody thought possible. Not from a guy that had ten through his first three seasons with the Chicago Bears. He was once heralded as the best ball-hawking safety in the NFL. Yet across 31 games, that 11th had eluded him. Fans started to turn against him. Without the turnovers, they were beginning to realize he wasn’t anything special as a safety. He knew with a different regime taking over in 2022, he couldn’t afford another down year.
His moment finally arrived at rain-swept Soldier Field. It had been a wild game by the start of the 4th quarter. The Bears’ offense overcame a dismal first half to erase a 10-point 49er lead to go up 13-10 with under 13 minutes to play. San Francisco got the ball and began a methodical drive towards midfield. Then on 3rd and 5, quarterback Trey Lance lined up in the shotgun. It was here Jackson’s moment unfolded.
He saw it.
The formation called by the 49ers was a familiar one. He knew where the ball was going. As it turns out, so did his teammates in the secondary, according to the Chicago Tribune.
“I was juiced,” Jaylon Johnson said. “It was like, ‘If we do what we’re supposed to here, we’re creating a turnover.’”
Johnson had a hunch (Jauan) Jennings would run a slant for quarterback Trey Lance and knew he could help steer the play right into the teeth of the call the Bears had on — right toward Jackson.
The call by defensive coordinator Alan Williams had him rotating down into the “robber” role. That meant he was to key on the quarterback and follow his eyes. If the ball went where it was supposed to, he’d have a chance to make a play.
“It was the perfect call,” Jackson said. “Just make sure you’re in the right spot, looking and keying on the right things.”
He and Johnson weren’t the only ones who saw the play unfolding even before 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.”
They were right.
Lance got the snap and thought he had Jennings open for an easy 1st down conversion. Jackson screamed in at the last second, cutting off the pass for a backbreaking interception that he returned to the 49ers’ 21-yard line. A few runs by Khalil Herbert later and the Bears scored another touchdown, putting the game out of reach 19-10.
Eddie Jackson exorcised many demons on Sunday.
That was the kind of timely play he’d been famous for back in 2018. Nobody was better at flipping the momentum of a game with one big play. His pick-sixes against Kirk Cousins and Matthew Stafford that year were prime examples. Yet it seemed after Vic Fangio left for Denver the following off-season, Jackson lost a lot of his mojo. That trademark swagger he carried wasn’t as prevalent. People started to wonder if Fangio was the only reason he was a success in the first place.
This game-clinching play was a reminder the guy was an All-Pro for a reason. He can still play at a high level. Now he’s finally in a defense that understands how to take advantage of his gifts. A coordinator like Williams, with a deep background coaching defensive backs, was perfect for him. Such a huge interception has to be a confidence boost. Eddie Jackson admitted after the game it felt really good.
Probably as if a piano fell off his back.
One thing is clear. If Jackson is regaining his old form, the Bears’ secondary just became significantly more formidable than many thought. Johnson continues to be excellent at cornerback, while Jaquan Brisker has looked impressive from the second he arrived in Chicago. This group has a chance to be something special.