The Chicago Bears‘ defense was like a regiment of soldiers returning from battle. Half of their number wouldn’t and were not fit for duty. Six starters didn’t suit up for Sunday’s matchup with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Expectations weren’t high. It would be a miracle if the Bears kept them under 30 points. They would need a massive effort from the starters who were left. For most of the game, Jaquan Brisker was not one of them. Pittsburgh seemed to pick on the Bears’ safety all afternoon, attacking him in coverage several times.
To his credit, Brisker didn’t grow discouraged. He kept battling. As the game entered its final moments, the young safety knew it was time to make a play. Pittsburgh quickly moved to midfield with under a minute to play. They were knocking on the door of a field goal to force overtime. Chicago managed to force two incompletions, setting up 4th and 6. Dennis Allen called on Brisker to blitz. He followed behind Austin Booker on the initial rush. As the left tackle moved to block Booker, Brisker looped back around to the inside.
It was here he saw the ball was about to come out, and the safety made one of the most athletic plays of the season, leaping into the air and tipping the ball incomplete.
Jaquan Brisker was incredible on that sequence.
You have to understand what happened. That wasn’t his original task. Based on the call, the expectation was that Jaquan Brisker would use Booker as a way to loop inside, hopefully getting a clean shot at Mason Rudolph. However, as he came around, he somehow recognized in a split second that the pass was coming, had the presence of mind to jump, the athleticism to get high enough, and the reflexes to get a hand on it. Only professionals make plays like that, and not as many as you think.
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Jaquan Brisker has been the forgotten man on defense for the Bears this season. Others like Kevin Byard (5 INTs), Nahshon Wright (5 INTs), Tremaine Edmunds (4 INTs), and Montez Sweat (7.5 sacks) have sucked up most of the limelight. Brisker has remained a steady presence for them, but hasn’t made many impact plays. If the Bears make the playoffs this season, that deflection will be one of the primary reasons for their success.