Almost two years in the past to the day, Eddie Jackson carried out the orchestra.
Wearing the similar orange jersey and webhosting the similar Vikings crew the Bears will face Monday evening, the protection intercepted Kirk Cousins’ move within the fourth quarter and returned it down the left sideline for a 27-yard landing to seal the 2018 win.
In the top zone, Jackson’s teammates accumulated round him in a half-circle and pretended to play tools. Akiem Hicks blew right into a make-believe flute. Khalil Mack joined in best after starting to sing “Oh Happy Day” — he concept the party used to be a gospel choir bit.
“It’s always memorable when you make plays like that,” Jackson stated this week.
They want extra adore it. The Bears had 9 takeaways of their first seven video games — and none within the ultimate two.
With a popgun passing assault and a run-game bordering at the non-existent, the Bears want takeaways — and possibly a defensive landing — to overcome the Vikings on Monday evening.
“When the offense is in situations like that, naturally when you have the type of competitors that we have on this side of the ball, naturally our mindset is ‘Hey, if they can’t do it, then that’s fine,’” protection Tashuan Gipson stated Saturday. “We have to move available in the market and create some alternatives for the crew and for ourselves and get some juice going. …
“Obviously the only thing you can do is continue to have faith and, man, they’re going to continue to get things going and rolling. But at the end of the day, I don’t think there’s too much added pressure to say — since they’re not doing, quote-unquote, enough — we need to do more.”
There’s a fantastic line between looking to drive a turnover — and attempting too laborious. On the primary force in opposition to the Titans, cornerback Kyle Fuller jumped an out course, were given each arms at the ball and, with not anything however inexperienced grass in entrance of him, dropped it.
Later within the first quarter, the Titans threw a slant to receiver A.J. Brown. Jackson attempted to strip the soccer from his arms on the Titans’ 46 and whiffed. Brown ran for 26 extra yards.
“You don’t ever want to press,” Jackson stated. “You simply need to sit down available in the market, and you need to play your sport. Sometimes they only come to you, you already know what I imply? And infrequently it’s a must to move available in the market and make it occur …
“At this level within the season, as a defensive unit, it’s a large number of stuff that we need to do. We have to return out and play, we need to create the ones turnovers.“
The Bears may have their probabilities. The Vikings are tied for fourth with 10 interceptions. Their 12 turnovers are tied for sixth-most within the NFL.
“Those first couple of games, they looked out of sync,” Gipson stated. “That’s the Kirk Cousins I hope I see Monday.”
The Bears assume they’re with reference to being elite, pointing to 2 of Jackson’s touchdowns that got here again on consequences this 12 months by myself.
“We just have to play within ourselves and make the play when the play comes and not think too much about it,” inside of linebacker Roquan Smith stated. “Because when you go out trying to force things, that’s when worse things can happen.”
The Bears discuss takeaways on a daily basis. Maybe an excessive amount of.
Monday, they’ll want them.
“You can swing the bat so hard you’re in a hitting slump,” defensive coordinator Chuck Pagano stated. “You can stay swinging, swinging so laborious and attempting so laborious that it simply will get worse.
“I feel guys have simply were given to play and be the in proper spots and when the chance arises you’ve were given to profit from them.
“We’ve missed some, you know? We had opportunities, a couple last week. But we gotta make good on those.”