Eddie Jackson, Bears Seek More Pick-6s Minus Apology

The Bears defensively have been just good enough to win.

This doesn't sit well with safety Eddie Jackson or any number of teammates, who have grown accustomed to seeing the group sitting near the top of league standings in yardage allowed and other stats. What they'd really like, though, are some defensive touchdowns and not to allow Atlanta to drive late in the game like they let the Lions and Giants do at the end of the first two games.

"We just gotta play more disciplined," Jackson said. "Guys have gotta handle their job. We can't all just try to make the play at one time. Some guys, you gotta go out there and be a role player when it's the time. And when your number gets called for you to make the play, you make it."

When the Bears face Matt Ryan, Julio Jones and Atlanta's high-powered offense, Jackson sees a need to be more concerned about details instead of being the guy who makes the play.

"I feel like the type of the team we have, we have a lot of hungry guys on the side of the ball, on defense, right now," Jackson said. "Everyone wants to make the play. Everyone wants to make the play every down. I get it. I understand it.

"But at times we just gotta stay on top of our keys and stay disciplined, whether it’s rush lanes, coverage, things like that."

Allowing a 50-yard drive like the Giants had on their final possession, or a 59-yard drive like the Lions had before pulling out wins isn't playing to the standards they've set.

"Yeah, stats are for losers, right?" defensive coordinator Chuck Pagano said. "That's what they say. Besides winning the game, which is most important, scoring defense, turnover margin is huge.

"Usually, when you win the turnover battle, you got a good chance of winning the game. And keeping people out of the end zone. I could give two whatever, we're just so used to always holding everybody to 90 total yards of offense. Everybody gets a little spoiled. That didn't happen Week 1. We were better last week."

What the Bears did well was produce big plays until the final drive against the Giants, but then they struggled. With four sacks, an interception, another one by Jackson called back by what they insist was a poor official's call, and a fumble recovery by Khalil Mack, the defense at least stepped it up over Week 1 when Detroit rolled to a 23-7 lead.

The secondary is ranked first in the NFL in passer rating against (73.1) but what Jackson really wants to see more is a defensive score. The Bears had only one of those last year from Ha Ha Clinton-Dix. They had six the previous season.

Jackson did his best to get one against the Giants, picking off a pass to Kaden Smith and taking it to the house 54 yards. Officials flagged him for pass interference.

"He just said he thought I ran through the back of the guy and not the side, and I guess he thought the ball hit him, like I hit the receiver from behind and the ball hit him, but the ball hit me so I feel like he didn't see it," Jackson said.

Replays show Jackson appear to make early contact but he was coming in from the side and going for the football.

Jackson said the official told him "my bad," afterward.

"I was like 'my bad?, like, what?' " Jackson recalled. "So he just walked off. But you know it's tough for those guys trying to make a call and not see if it's pass interference or not in the blink of an eye. It's kind of tough. I get it."

Jackson got a call on the game's last play. He was covering Golden Tate on the final incompletion near the goal line, and a flag flew but it was on Tate for shoving off so a touchdown would not have counted and the clock had expired.

"I know in my mind, I'm like, 'Oh my God, again? What is going on? Do they not want us to win this game?' " Jackson said. "But it was against them, so it was kind of a relief.'

It was Jackson's second TD return called back.

"You always keep track of them, but there's more to come," Jackson said.

Deon Bush had the secondary's second pick of the season to stop a scoring threat but the backup safety was a bit too excited to hear Jackson and Kyle Fuller hollering for a lateral to try and score.

"He got fined for not pitching the ball and getting tackled by an offensive lineman," Pagano said, joking. "We worked that (at) practice. We have an interception team drill. You get on the sidelines. There's always guys blocking."

Jackson tried.

"Me and Kyle, you could see Kyle jumping, as well,' Jackson said. "He (Fuller) was kind of frustrated. We told (Bush) him, man, go left. But he was so happy to get the ball. That was his first career interception in the regular season."

They may need the points from defense this week to keep pace with Jones and Atlanta's other receivers, like Calvin Ridley.

"He's Julio Jones, you can never sleep on him," said Jackson, whose first NFL game was against Jones and Atlanta in 2017. "You never know what he has in store, what he can or he cannot do.

"I feel like his play-making ability is through the roof. For us, we just have to be on top of our keys."

And be ready to lateral or take a lateral.

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