Bears Try Turning Rubbish Into Fuel

The blowout loss and heavy criticism all week have apparently become fuel for the Bears as they try to build momentum to face Tampa Bay.

Pushing aside a loss and moving on is a little tougher when it's a blowout and especially when it's against the Green Bay Packers.

Bears players all week have had to deal with the criticism, and in some cases harsh blasts. Wide receiver Chase Claypool was one and by Friday had not spoken to media about an effort roundly criticized. Safety Eddie Jackson is another player getting some heat after he gave up a touchdown reception in coverage on Romeo Doubs at the back of the end zone.

One way the Bears have tried looking at it is finding the bright side. 

Really.

"Most definitely. I'm not saying it was a good thing that that happened," Jackson said. "But I'd rather have it happen early in the season. Then you kind of see, all right, what we're made of."

Jackson wasn't the only one saying this. Safety Jaquan Brisker had said the same on Wednesday in similar terms. 

As someone who has been in Chicago seven seasons, Jackson has been through this before. In fact, there has been only one winning season in those first six.

"Everyone is going to write us off," Jackson said. "We're used to it. Everyone is going to be like, 'Oh, same Bears. New team.' We get it.

"Just stay on that side when it's time. Right now we're trying to build something and we're not listening to all the outside noise. We know what we've got in here. We know that Week 1 that wasn't us at all. I feel like we will never have another game like that this season. Especially on defense. We have to live up to that."

Jackson's attack was a bit more personal because Hall of Famer Dan Hampton from the 1985 team called him "a clown," during postgame comments on WGN radio.

Jackson gave up one pass for 8 yards and the TD according to Pro Football Focus but Sportradar says he allowed four receptions when targeted, and the TD, and has him at a 141.4 passer rating against when targeted.

In the past, Jackson has had some wars on social media, one in particular with former Bears linebacker Lance Briggs. However, he's getting into wars of words now. When told about the comment he put Hampton into the non-Bears fan category.

"I don't know, I mean, if that's his opinon then that's his opinion," Jackson said. "You know, hey, we've just got to go out there and we're going to play. Like I said, stay over there. You know what I mean? You can talk bad but when things are going good, stay on that side."

Bouncing back from the loss in a tough place to play, Tampa, with temperatures in the 90s and the Buccaneers at 1-0 is not going to be an ideal way to end an 11-game losing streak.

"This is big," Jackson said. "It's a huge week for us. Our minds are in the right place. All y'all know what that (Packers) game meant. Especially for it to be the Week 1 matchup and trying to turn this thing around.

"So it's about how we attack the week. Is your mind in the right spot to overcome that? And what are we going to do this week? Everyone is on, locked in and we know what we have to go out and do Sunday."

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