Jaquan Brisker Leads with High Energy

With a Bears defensive back record 17 tackles against the Lions, Jaquan Brisker says he has only just begun to show how he can help the defense.

Much has been made of the 17 tackles Jaquan Brisker made Sunday in the 28-13 Bears win over Detroit.

Matt Eberflus and the coaching staff have even trying to give him another tackle but the official stat total on that day was 17.

"I've never heard of that," Eberflus said after the game about 17 tackles.

The 17 tackles is not common for a defensive back. Usually it means defensive breakdowns occurred if a player who is in pass coverage much of the time had to make 17 tackles. This is a Bears record for defensive backs. 

All of the other top 10 for Bears tackles in a single game are linebackers, topped by the 19 Brian Urlacher made in the famed "They are who we thought they were," game against Arizona.

What's really strange is No. 2 on the Bears list is 18 by Jamar Williams, a linebacker who made 20% of his career tackles in that one December, 2009 game. The stat didn't become official for the NFL until 2001, so you won't see names of great past Bears tacklers like Mike Singletary, Dick Butkus or Doug Buffone listed.

Brisker likes playing this way even if he's making tackles like a linebacker. He'd rather be involved in a play, every play. He commented during preseason and at other times in the past about wanting to be used more in different ways and on Sunday got that chance. 

The Bears had him up in run support as a classic strong-safety type because they needed defensive backs on the field who could play like linebackers against David Montgomery but also defend the Lions passing attack.

It wasn't a complete game to Brisker even if he was used in numerous ways.

"I know what type of player I can be," Brisker said. "A couple weeks maybe before the Vikings game, I told (Eberflus) I want to be able to take over a game and show that I can. (Sunday) wasn't my perfect game. I had a dropped interception. I probably could've had another interception later in the game to end it all.

"I feel like when I beat the running back, I could've been quicker to get the strip-sack. But Jaylon had the interception (on that play) anyway. I feel like I'm just getting there, but I'm not where I want to be because I know that I can take over a game how I can take over. That's not a complete game for me. That's not it."

The benefit the Bears get from Brisker isn't all quantifiable on a stat sheet, anyway. He's high-energy and always trying to lead, which is uncommon for a second-year player.

"Just the way he goes about his business every single day, he comes in and he's always texting me when I'm putting in the game plan," Eberflus said. " 'Put a couple pressures in for me.'

He's always constantly on me about that. 'Make sure I'm part of the game plan.'

"But he's a ball of energy, as is Kyler (Gordon) and the rest of the guys, Jaylon (Johnson), our defensive line, the linebackers. They are all the same way. They radiate energy and they bring it in practice."

Brisker has always been this high-energy type of player.

"Yeah, high school, for sure high school, midget league, junior college to Penn State, always been that energy guy but it really just came from me hitting somebody or my teammates making plays," he said. "Like I said when my teammates made plays, that gets me hyped up too."

Seeing a second-year player like Brisker assuming a leadership role is uncommon, but he feels it's necessary.

"It's important just because you know we came in and they wanted to turn around and I'm one of those guys that they brought in to do that, you know, me and Kyler (Gordon) when we started off with the new coaching staff," Brisker said. "You know just coming in and focusing on just changing this thing around, you know changing the secondary, you know changing the whole team.

"That's always been important to me, especially to lead and get my foot in the door and show who I am as a player, show who I am as a leader and who I am on and off the field has always been important to me and get this Chicago team into a winning direction."

Bears Tackles Leaders

Single Game, Top 10

1. Brian Urlacher, 19, Oct. 16, 2006 at Cardinals

2. Jamar Williams, 18, Dec. 6, 2009 vs. Rams

3. Urlacher, 17 Dec. 5, 2010, at Lions

3. Jaquan Brisker, 17, Dec. 10, 2023 vs. Lions

3. T.J. Edwards, 17, Sept. 24, 2023 at Chiefs

3. Roquan Smith, 17, Nov. 21, 2021 vs. Ravens

3. Jerrell Freeman 17, Sept. 11, 2016

8. Smith, 16, Sept. 25, 2022, vs. Texans

8. Smith, 16, Nov. 28, 2019, at Lions

8. Lance Briggs, 16, Oct. 7, 2007 at Packers

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