Getty Safety Jaquan Brisker of the Chicago Bears.
The Chicago Bears secondary got low-key lit up by QB Jordan Love and the Green Bay Packers, but safety Jaquan Brisker still isn’t buying the hype.
Love put up 245 yards and three touchdowns through the air against Chicago on Sunday, September 10. Despite that performance, however, Brisker doused the Love fest and dismissed the QB as ordinary in the wake the Bears’ loss.
“He’s just Jordan Love — No. 10, Packers quarterback,” Brisker said after the game, per Sports Illustrated. “He’s nothing special.”
Jaquan Brisker, Bears Defense Struggled to Disrupt Jordan Love in Week 1
GettyQuarterback Jordan Love of the Green Bay Packers warms up prior to an NFL game against the Minnesota Vikings in November 2021.
There wasn’t much else Brisker could say in the wake of his team’s 38-20 home loss, especially following the comments the safety made leading up to the game.
“I am waiting,” Brisker told reporters on September 5. “I am itching. It’s Packers Week, so I know it’s gonna be live in the stadium. Fans everywhere — it’s gonna be loud. People hate Green Bay. I hate Green Bay. I can’t wait. They didn’t get to see me last year. They gonna get to see me this year, though.”
For his part, Brisker had a reasonable showing against Green Bay, amassing seven tackles and a pass breakup on the day. However, after posting a rookie season that included four sacks and two forced turnovers, Brisker was unable to make the kind of momentum-swinging play that might have pulled Chicago back into the game.
The Packers passing attack was relatively unbothered by anything the Bears’ defense threw at it. Green Bay’s offensive line, which is expected to be among the best in the NFL, allowed three QB hits and one sack on the afternoon. Meanwhile, Love completed 15-of-27 attempts, spreading the football around to young pass-catchers all over the field.
Jaquan Brisker, Bears Face Tougher Test than Expected on Road Against Baker Mayfield, Bucs
GettySafety Jaquan Brisker and the rest of the Chicago Bears defense needs to find their stride in Week 2 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Chicago’s defense must get back on track as the team prepares for a two-game road trip that starts against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and finishes against the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs.
The Bucs eked out a win on the road over the Minnesota Vikings in Week 1, with new starting quarterback Baker Mayfield leading the charge. The QB finished the day 21-0f-34 passing for 173 yards, two touchdowns and a 94.4 rating. While it’s unlikely Mayfield ever finds himself bound for the NFL Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, he has had plenty of moments over his now six-year career.
Brisker’s defiant attitude toward Love and his performance in Week 1 is something of a double-edged sword when it comes to a player like Mayfield. On the one hand, Brisker and the rest of the Bears secondary probably believe (and should, by the way) that they can disrupt what the Bucs hope to do offensively through the air. However, the weapons at Mayfield’s disposal — namely wide receivers Mike Evans and Chris Godwin —pose legitimate challenges and a real threat to a young Chicago secondary.
Respect is earned, not given, and while that is truer in the NFL than most American workplaces, a defiant lack of respect could come back to bite Brisker and company this Sunday — just like it did Sunday last against a Packers team that has now won nine in a row against the Bears.
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