Jaquan Brisker’s hard hit sparks Chicago Bears defense to another 3-takeaway afternoon in win over Carolina

CHICAGO – Jaylon Johnson wanted to make sure Jaquan Brisker was OK. Brisker, the Chicago Bears safety, had just demolished Carolina Panthers tight end Tommy Tremble and caused a fumble. It was the first of three Bears takeaways in a 36-10 win over the Panthers on Sunday at Soldier Field.

The hard-hitting Brisker has never been afraid to take on contact if it means hitting the ball carrier. The hit looked scary for both players. It sent Tremble into the concussion protocol. Brisker, however, appeared to be OK afterward.

After the play, teammate after teammate went up to Brisker on the sideline to give him a handshake or a high five. Johnson, the team’s All-Pro cornerback, took a different approach. He leaned in and kissed Brisker on the top of his head.

“I just had to make sure he was alright because he blasted him,” Johnson said. “I just had to make sure he was feeling good, give him a little love.”

There was a lot of love going around for the defense Sunday. The Bears put together yet another great defensive effort. With three takeaways, it was the defense’s fourth game with multiple takeaways, just five weeks into the season.

Brisker previously has dealt with concussions during his NFL career, so it was fair to be concerned for the 25-year-old. It’s almost unavoidable with a player who plays with such reckless abandon.

“I was definitely feeling it, I ain’t going to lie,” Brisker said of the hit. “I felt that one, for sure.”

Brisker’s forced fumble was recovered by second-year defensive tackle Gervon Dexter. Linebacker TJ Edwards also forced a fumble, which cornerback Kyler Gordon recovered. Safety Kevin Byard had an interception.

Panthers quarterback Andy Dalton was a non-factor. Besides one bad breakdown on a touchdown run from Panthers running back Chuba Hubbard, the Bears were nearly perfect.

Dexter wouldn’t let Dalton have any space to throw the football. He had four quarterback hits, including one sack. He created the pressure that led to Byard’s interception.

Dexter has four sacks in five games. He has 10 quarterback hits in five games. Those are the types of numbers that fans might expect to see from a star edge rusher, rather than a defensive tackle. This is what the Bears envisioned when they drafted Dexter with a second-round pick a year ago.

He was considered a raw prospect as a rookie. The Bears expected a big leap from Dexter in year two, but even this coaching staff must be impressed with just how effective Dexter has been on the field.

“My knowledge for the game has gotten a lot better, and that will take it a long way,” Dexter said after the game. “After that, you can go out there and play free, you know what’s going on and you know a little bit more going into your second year.”

My knowledge for the game has gotten a lot better and that will take it a long way with just that. After that, you can go out there and play free.”

—  Gervon Dexter, Bears defensive tackle

His running mate on the inside, fellow defensive tackle Andrew Billings, also recorded a sack in the game. It was the first sack for Billings. He has been creating pressure all season on the inside. He just hadn’t been able to finish off a sack until Sunday.

“That was surreal because we’ve just been working at it,” Dexter said. “We’ve been super close. Each week he’s probably getting a couple pressures or a couple hits. To see him hit home, it felt like it was my sack, for sure.”

That pressure up front didn’t allow Dalton to become comfortable. This Bears defense seemed to find its groove.

“When we came back to the sideline, we just constantly remind ourselves: That’s not enough, that’s not enough,” cornerback Tyrique Stevenson said.

Quarterback Caleb Williams threw two touchdown passes and had the Bears offense rolling.

It all added up to a complete win for the Bears. The Panthers were the NFL’s worst team last year, and they don’t appear to be much better this year. This was a game the Bears needed to win, and they did so convincingly.

“It’s all about us when you think about it,” head coach Matt Eberflus said. “It’s all about us, and I was proud of the guys, the way they focused in to get better going all the way back to Monday. What can we improve on? What can we get better at? And how do we win this game, this particular game?”

On Sunday, the Bears made it look easy.