Chicago Bears Thought No. 2: Secondary played well despite lack of pass rush
The Bears’ defense, especially the secondary, had the daunting task of going up against A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith. The Eagles were ranked the No. 1 scoring offense and Jalen Hurts had only thrown three interceptions entering this game.
Jaylon Johnson battled against A.J. Brown and allowed nine catches for 181 yards. However, you could not tell as he batted down multiple passes thrown by Jalen Hurts toward Brown’s direction. Brown was clearly frustrated with Johnson’s physical play as the refs allowed both guys to compete and did not throw a single pass interference flag. Johnson in his third season should be in line for a contract extension this offseason even though he does not generate enough turnovers to warrant such a big contract.
Rookie CB, Kyler Gordon had the best game of his rookie season by far — intercepting a badly thrown pass by Hurts and picking up a fumble. He had to cover DeVonta Smith most of the game and held on his own despite giving up 5 catches for 126 yards.
Kyler Gordon & Jaylon Johnson played well. Gordon is a great tackler and has a good feel for zone coverage. Johnson is really good in man coverage. PFF grades were:
— Clay Harbor (@clayharbs82) December 19, 2022
Gordon - 76
Johnson -71#DaBears #ChicagoBears #Bears pic.twitter.com/ln4TwUTOdt
DeAndre Houston-Carson, a career special teamer filling in for Eddie Jackson who is done for the year with a Lisfranc injury, had an interception also. He has a knack for coming up with big plays when he had to fill in, and hopefully, he will continue to play well in the final three games.
The only guy who did not have a great game in the secondary was Jaquan Brisker, who hit the wrong gap and allowed Hurts to rush up the middle untouched for a touchdown just before halftime. That changed the momentum in their favor, which did not sit well with head coach Matt Eberflus.
The Bears’ defense, without any pass rushers to speak of, ended up forcing three turnovers — two interceptions and one fumble recovery. That is an incredible coaching job led by defensive coordinator, Alan Williams. They were one of the reasons the Chicago Bears were in this ballgame.