Eddie Jackson's Down Season a Tough One to Explain

With the Bears playing the Green Bay Packers on Sunday, it's a good time to look at one of their more disappointing players on defense this season.

Safety Eddie Jackson is suffering through his worst season in the NFL, at least statistically.

It's enough to make anyone looking at the numbers wonder if general manager Ryan Pace made the right decision signing Jackson to a $58.4 million deal for four years, the richest for a safety on average.

It's also enough to make you wonder if Pace did the right thing letting safety Adrian Amos leave for the Packers in 2019 free agency.

It's certain Jackson and safety Tashaun Gipson will be thoroughly tested this week by Aaron Rodgers, who buys time with his feet to throw better than anyone with the possible exceptions of Russell Wilson and Patrick Mahomes. Then he scorches safeties for leaving men open deep in secondaries.

"The play ain't over until that whistle blows, the balls on the ground or there's an incomplete pass or something like that," Bears safeties coach Sean Desai said. "We just gotta make sure that we're doing our jobs at all levels of the defense, not just the back end until the play's actually over because you don't know when that play's over."

That kind of pressure can be devastating for the Bears on defense considering the struggles Jackson has had this year.

According to Sportradar, Jackson has allowed 71.4% completions this year on passes when targeted. The previous two years he allowed 50% and 53.5%. He's allowing 9.7 yards per target this season after giving up 5.4 yards per target last year.

Jackson had two interceptions last year and none this year. When quarterbacks target him, they achieve a 117.9 passer rating and last year it was less than half that at 57.6.

Sportradar's statistics are fairly simple and do not involve grading. For that there is Pro Football Focus, and their grade on Jackson this year is a career-low 59.0. PFF gives him a 55.3 grade for pass coverage, which is by far a career low.

Jackson isn't alone in recording bad numbers at safety for the Bears. Tashaun Gipson's percentage of completions allowed is 64.4% after it was 52.2% in Jacksonville in 2018 and 54.1% in Houston the previous two years. He's giving up a passer rating against of 96.1.

While Jackson hasn't enjoyed a strong statistical season, Desai says the defense benefits from his presence in other ways.

"He's been really good, especially over these last 6-7 weeks in terms of bringing that passion and that energy in the locker room," Desai said. "He's been tremendously positive. We've had some guys and veterans down in the back end and he's taken on an exceptional role trying to mentor those guys and get them ready to play in these games. So it's been great.

"It's been refreshing to see that from him. He's always had it in him, but to see him open up and be more vocal about it on a consistent basis has been a credit to him."

Still, Jackson had one of the great seasons by a safety ever in 2018 with six interceptions. His numbers and ratings have declined since.

The drop hasn't been as great for Amos since he left Chicago for Green Bay.

Amos had a PFF grade of 82.9 in 2018 with the Bears and a phenomenal 90.9 in 2017 before Matt Nagy became coach. Even in 2016 and 2015 during the John Fox era in Chicago, Amos never dipped below 69.6.

This year Amos is at 79.9 overall and has an 86.9 coverage grade. He was at 76.5 last year with a 76.0 coverage score.

The lack of a heavy pass rush this year for the Bears has likely been a factor in safety coverage problems, as it was last year. The pass rush in 2018 under former defensive coordinator Vic Fangio was more fierce.

Whatever the reasons, Jackson appears to be suffering through a dip in a strong career and the Bears no doubt will need something better Sunday with their season on the line against the Packers.

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