The Chicago Bears announced great news about the defense yesterday
In the first press conference back from the bye week, Chicago Bears head coach, Matt Eberflus, had some great news for the defense. Although to be expected after missing the last two games, both Jaquan Brisker and Kyler Gordon are set to return from concussion protocol.
For anyone saying the season is over and it doesn’t matter that these two are coming back, I understand your frustration. Even though the 2022 season is basically over, it is important to remember that both Gordon and Brisker are rookies. Every snap is important for these players to continue to grow and develop.
The Chicago Bears will get Jaquan Brisker and Kyler Gordon back after this week
Although Kyler Gordon was selected before Jaquan Brisker in the 2022 NFL Draft, Brisker has been the better player. Both were second-round draft picks, but Brisker has been playing like a first-round pick. Gordon has had more of a roller-coaster type of season. He struggled to start the season, then went on a tear for a few consecutive weeks, but then regressed back to the way he was playing at the beginning of the year.
Kyler Gordon has started 11 games this season. He has 55 combined tackles (41 solos), one interception, four passes defensed, and a forced fumble. He also has two tackles for loss. Unfortunately, opposing quarterbacks are seeing a 107.3 QB rating while throwing in Gordon’s direction. He has allowed 48 of 62 passes to be completed (77.4%) for an average of nearly 50 yards per game. Gordon has been better on the outside than in the slot and maybe Joshua Blackwell can take on that role while Gordon keeps to the outside.
Jaquan Brisker has played at an above-average level. He has even looked elite at times. This speaks more to how poorly the Chicago Bears’ pass rush has been, but Brisker leads the team in sacks with three. He has 73 combined (53 solos) tackles, five tackles for loss, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery on the season too. Like Gordon, Brisker only has one interception. However, he has only allowed 57.1% of his targets to be completed. Quarterbacks have only seen an 85.5 QB rating while throwing in his direction too.
While these two were out, the team was also without Kindle Vildor for the Packers game. The Chicago Bears were literally grabbing guys off of the street to help fill out their roster. Although the Bears’ secondary hasn’t been playing well, they could use the help of these two defensive backs. I’ll admit that last week the DBs looked better than I expected, but both Jaquan Brisker and Kyler Gordon were missed. Chicago Bears fans should be excited to see them play again for multiple reasons. They will have a tough task vs an elite Philadelphia Eagles team.