Chicago Bears players spoke to the media over Zoom on Tuesday as the team enacted stricter COVID-19 protocols to prevent its current outbreak from getting bigger.
After coach Matt Nagy announced he tested positive for the virus Monday, the Bears are wearing masks around Halas Hall and conducting meetings virtually, left tackle Jason Peters said.
As the players try to regroup from a 38-3 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, here are three things we heard on the call.
1. Eddie Jackson thought Lance Briggs was calling his effort into question last week — but admits he needs to wrap up better.
Jackson drew attention last week when he retweeted a 10-year-old post from Pro Football Focus talking about former Bears linebacker Briggs’ missed tackles.
Jackson’s tweet, which he later deleted, was in response to Briggs’ comments on NBC Sports Chicago criticizing his missed tackle in Week 6 against Green Bay Packers wide receiver Davante Adams. Jackson tried to knock Adams out of bounds, but Adams stayed up and gained another 8 yards on the 41-yard play.
“His name keeps coming up for the wrong reasons,” Briggs said. “You are the safety. You are the last line of defense. When you come up and make that hit on Davante Adams and he gets past you, it’s going to be a touchdown, kid. You have to make that play. Get him down by any means necessary. Don’t care how you do it.”
Jackson said Tuesday he didn’t regret his tweet because he didn’t like that his effort was being called into question.
“The type of player I am, I feel like you should never question my effort,” Jackson said. “I know I have to make that tackle. Nobody goes out there and wants to miss a tackle. You know you have to get the guy to the ground. But when it comes to questioning effort and playing ability, we have all been here before. We all as players know how it feels when you go out there laying everything on the line trying to be aggressive.
“I can take direct criticism. I went to Alabama. Coach (Nick) Saban always coached us on that. You have to learn how to take direct criticism. It’s not about that. It’s about the effort part.”
Jackson was open to talking about where he needs to improve on his tackling, including in the open field.
He spent several minutes detailing the mentality and decision-making it takes to make sure he’s finishing tackles rather than focusing on delivering a big hit or trying to take the ball away.
“Sometimes when you’re in the game, especially when you’re trying to make a play, you want to try to get a big hit on the guy, try to knock the ball out or you’re trying to strip at the ball, but you have to get the guy on the ground,” Jackson said. “You have to put into your mind when you’re going into a tackle, like, ‘OK, just remember to wrap.’
“You’re just flying around and you’re just trying to make plays, all of that stuff kind of leaves you and you’re just going out there trying to be aggressive. Sometimes it can pay off but sometimes it can hurt you. Every time you go in, make sure you wrap.”
2. The Bears could have a reinforcement at offensive tackle on the way.
Peters mentioned rookie Larry Borom approached him for help this week as the offensive tackle prepares to return from injured reserve.
Borom has been out since he suffered a high ankle sprain in the season opener. Nagy has not offered updates on Borom or second-round pick Teven Jenkins. Jenkins remains out after August back surgery but could be eyeing a return in a few weeks, Peters said.
“They want to learn,” Peters said. “They’re asking questions all the time and I help them out. Just today Larry asked me, because he’s going to be back this week, to help him. So I’m going to get with him.”
It’s unknown how many weeks of practice Borom might need before playing in a game, but his return would be welcome for a group that has been hit hard by injuries and COVID-19. Along with Borom and Jenkins, right tackle Germain Ifedi is on injured reserve with a knee injury and backup Elijah Wilkinson missed Sunday’s game while he was on the reserve/COVID-19 list.
The Bears found out about Wilkinson’s absence Sunday morning. Peters said that put Lachavious Simmons in a tough spot as an inexperienced player and was a reminder to everybody to be prepared in case more players go on the COVID-19 list. The Bears have had five players and two coaches go on the list or go through COVID-19 protocols.
“You definitely need everybody,” Peters said. “We lost Elijah Sunday, and that kind of hurt us as a unit. We had a guy step in, LC, that didn’t get no practice at right tackle, and bless his heart, he came out there and struggled a little bit. So with the COVID, a guy catches it, he’s going to be down, next man up. You’ve just got to keep that in mind when you’re out there doing your preparation. You’ve just got to be ready.”
3. Allen Robinson continues to search for chemistry with Justin Fields heading into Week 8.
Robinson had his lowest output of the season Sunday against the Bucs — two catches in four targets for 16 yards — and then faced a new round of questions about why the Bears top receiver and Fields haven’t found a consistent chemistry. Robinson is averaging 3.3 catches and 35.7 receiving yards per game.
When asked about getting on the same page as Fields, Robinson said Tuesday it’s about continuing to get reps and noted his lack of practice with the rookie quarterback during training camp as then-starter Andy Dalton worked primarily with the top receivers.
“That’s something we’re continuing to build on, continuing to get reps in practice,” Robinson said.
Nagy said Monday he thought Fields and Robinson would get together to learn from Fields’ third interception against the Bucs, on which Fields underthrew Robinson and Pierre Desir picked off the pass. Nagy indicated there were different approaches to that throw based on coverage, and Desir was in a gray area.
Robinson explained how he saw the play unfold.
“It’s off-coverage. I’m running a go-ball,” he said. “The defender was at about 10 yards or so. So as I close the cushion to him and then I get a step on him, I’m still digging for the go-ball. Once I look back, the ball was in the air, I tried to slam on the brakes and maybe come back.
“But at that point in time, it was too late for me. There wasn’t too much that I could do because I’m thinking that it’s off-coverage, a go-ball, I’m chasing down a DB, and then once I get to him, now I’m really digging and then looking up for the ball as I’m continuing to build speed downfield.”
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