The Chicago Bears defense had played some consistently good football in recent weeks. That ended abruptly on Sunday in Dallas, where the Cowboys racked up 440 total yards and 42 points on offense. It was ugly in every sense of the word. The defensive line couldn’t get to Dak Prescott or close running lanes. Linebackers were out of position almost all day. The cornerbacks left receivers running open way too often. The only two quality performances came from safeties Eddie Jackson and Jaquan Brisker.
Jackson notched his fourth interception of the season. He was the only one making plays. So it’s easy to understand why he was frustrated after the game ended. That kind of performance has never happened during his long tenure with the organization. His words after the game showcased his frustration. In fact, it was hard not to read between the lines that he might see some of his teammates as not being 100% committed to doing their jobs. Josh Schrock of NBC Sports Chicago picked up on it.
“It sucks. It’s frustrating. It’s repeat and recycle. We just got to get this out. Just get it out. Like I said, sustain execution. That’s what we have to do. People probably taking and just listening to the words. Just (in) one ear and out the other. We really have to do that. We want to win, want to be a good team, want to prove people wrong, we got to come out here and play our game. Can’t have the ups and downs. Can’t get complacent. That’s what it is.”
Eddie Jackson seems to think some guys ignore the details.
That was painfully evident against Dallas. Too often, it looked like defensive linemen or linebackers were out of position, enabling Tony Pollard to go crazy for 131 yards and three touchdowns. It was painful to watch how many times Trevis Gipson bit on bootlegs from Prescott. Little things like that kill defenses. The last thing the Bears could afford was lots of small mistakes against a talented offense on the road.
Maybe Eddie Jackson should’ve kept his frustration out of the media. That doesn’t make what he said less accurate. It feels like the Bears started feeling themselves a little too much after crushing New England last Monday. They thought they could do the same against Dallas and got a harsh reminder that isn’t how it works in the NFL. Maybe it’s the consequences of being a young team. Remember that only three of their current starters are over the age of 26. Their most seasoned veteran, Robert Quinn, was traded to Philadelphia.
Learning experiences like this can happen, even if there are no excuses. Jackson won’t be the only one handing out criticisms before the next 48 hours is over.
