Bear Digest

Jaquan Brisker labels Chicago Bears takeaway burst as well planned

The Bears try for takeaways through practice, positioning and physicality and so far they're on pace for more than they've produced since the Lovie Smith era.
Gene Chamberlain|
Bears safety Kevin Byard intercepts a pass intended for New Orleans wide receiver Rashid Shaheed in a 26-14 Chicago win.
Bears safety Kevin Byard intercepts a pass intended for New Orleans wide receiver Rashid Shaheed in a 26-14 Chicago win. | David Banks-Imagn Images

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Chicago Bears

The Bears defense would have you believe they practice all of these turnovers they're getting.

Practice away, then.

Whatever causes it, they have more than any NFL team with 16 and they're getting takeaways at a rate greater than they did in 2018 when they won the NFC North. It's a rate higher than any time since the end of the Lovie Smith coaching era in 2012.

It's secondary coach Al Harris prior to Sunday's game telling them  they were going to get four takeaways in the win over New Orleans. It's talking about it all the time. It's tough, physical play triggering it. It's actually practicing to take it.

"Some things we see in film that they (coaches) may tell us; get ready  for some things we practice where we take the ball away and you can see that's going to come during the game," safety Jaquan Brisker said. "There are so many different elements to it that we know we're going to get an interception or turnover at some point of the game.

"We’ve just got to make sure we study our keys make sure we're really locked in and make sure when the opportunity comes we take advantage of it.”

With 16 takeaways, they have an average of 2.66 per game. They averaged 2.75 in 2012, Smith's last year as coach. That was the same average they had in their Super Bowl year of 2006 when Brian Urlacher, Charles Tillman and Mike Brown keyed their pursuit of the ball. They averaged 2.25 in 2018 under former coordinator Vic Fango.

They do work at it.

“Just the beginning of practice," Brisker said.

That's simple fundamental individual drills, though. It's the kind every NFL team will do.

It seems more of a mental approach than anything, and that starts with the coaching from Dennis Allen and assistants like Harris.

"The beginning of the week the way they talk, the way they talk to us during the week, they have confidence," Brisker said. "You can tell the way they talk that they believe in us, that we're going to win.

"That it doesn't have to be perfect. It doesn't have to be clean. It could  be ugly; we just have to find a way to win. As long we stay together, as long as we keep doing our jobs, we'll have a chance.”

Sometimes it's more than positioning and talking about it. Sometimes they need to deliver a shoulder pad or two to knock one loose or pick one off. That threat of contact can cause teams to lose the ball, especially with QBs as they rush throws into coverage.

"We’re making tremendous strides there," coach Ben Johnson said. "I think our little guys, and I say little guys, I’m talking about our DBs, they’re hitting violently.

"You could feel them pressuring a little bit.

"We had a few more safety and nickel pressures this past week than maybe what we had done previously. You could feel that and just how they were hitting, whether it’s running backs or even the quarterback (who are hit).”

Johnson isn't telling anyone the rate of 15 takeaways in the last four weeks can continue all year. He knows better.

The Bears had a stretch of four games in 2023 when they had 14 takeaways but that didn't continue. Johnson says it doesn't matter.

“I think our defense is doing a phenomenal job of knowing where that ball is," he said. "When you make it a point of emphasis, normally good things happen. They’re doing a great job with it.

"If there’s a point where we’re not getting as many takeaways, I know another  phase of our defense or offense or special teams will find a way to come through for us."

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.