Getty Bears safety Eddie Jackson
The Chicago Bears are not having an easy time of it lately. The Bears have lost four in a row, and fans and analysts alike are calling for huge, significant changes in Chicago. Former players haven’t exactly been liking what they’re seeing, either.
Lance Briggs played 12 seasons, all with the Bears, making seven Pro Bowls and getting named a first-team All-Pro in 2005 and a second-team All-Pro in 2006 and 2009. He was a member of the last Bears team to go to the Super Bowl, and he has worked as an analyst for the last several years for NBC Sports, covering his former team.
During — and after — Chicago’s most recent loss, a dreadful 19-13 loss to the Minnesota Vikings, Briggs had a few things to say, and he singled one defender out, specifically.
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Lance Briggs Calls Out Eddie Jackson’s Tackling
Bears All-Pro safety Eddie Jackson has missed some opportunities in the open field this season. He was nearly juked out of his shoes by Buccaneers running back Ronald Jones on a memorable 37-yard run over a month ago, and he failed to bring down Tennessee Titans receiver AJ Brown on a key play last week.
Monday night against the Vikings, Jackson whiffed badly on what wound up being a huge play in the fourth quarter. The Vikings faced a 1st and 20, and instead of forcing a stop on the series, Kirk Cousins threw to tight end Kyle Rudolph. Jackson missed his opportunity to tackle Rudolph, and the play resulted in a 22-yard gain, while the drive ultimately resulted in the game-winning score.
Briggs took to Twitter after the play to call out Jackson. “Come on Bojack!!! Hold on grab him..do something!!!” Briggs Tweeted.
Come on Bojack!!! Hold on grab him..do something!!!
Missed tackles are the one blemish on Jackson, who is an excellent player, but he seems to struggle every year in this department.
I don’t know what the hell is going on with Eddie Jackson but that missed tackle on Sterling Shepard was inexcusable.
Eddie Jackson, missed tackle. That one hurts.
And there’s Eddie Jackson’s 1 missed tackle per game. Huge one.
#Bears rookie safety Eddie Jackson missed tackle on RB LeGarrette Blount, but Adrian Amos saved him with the strip. That’s Amos’ second forced fumble this season.
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Briggs, Ex-Bear Alex Brown Have Advice for Current Bears Team
Briggs also harkened back to his days with the team while also referencing the method Chicago has used to find success before, imploring Bears management to look at previously tried and true formulas.
“How many times are we going to keep experimenting and getting offensive ‘gurus’ out here to do something in Chicago that has never been done?” Briggs asked on NBC Sports’ Football Aftershow. “There are ways that Chicago has been able to be effective and win. It’s tested true. It’s defense, special teams, run the ball on offense.”
Football Aftershow co-host and former Bears defensive lineman Alex Brown also had some advice for the Bears, and they’d be wise to heed it: “We’ve got to deal with this for the rest of the year, but come April this is what I want to see in the offseason. This is when I want to see you put forth the effort to change this. Give me some guys. Invest in (the offensive line). Invest in that. You have to invest in that.”