Bear Digest

Question of Bears Accountability: Will They Be Disinterested?

Analysis: Cornerback Jaylon Johnson's effort on a 49ers TD last week results in criticism from one former Bears player but the Pro Bowl cornerback says he remains motivated.

Gene Chamberlain

Isaac Guerendo's touchdown and the effort at least one Bears player gave on it is being questioned.
Isaac Guerendo's touchdown and the effort at least one Bears player gave on it is being questioned. / Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images
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Jaylon Johnson reports he's up for the challenge of facing Vikings receiver Justin Jefferson again Monday night even as his willingness to compete last week on a play is being challenged by a former Bears player.

The Bears Pro Bowl cornerback had the key role last month at Soldier Field in holding Jefferson to two receptions, although the Vikings did benefit from two pass interference penalties on throws to their top receiver.

"Honestly, I would say everything, kind of looking at it, I would say the two plays, the two PIs, I would want to play that a little cleaner on those," Johnson said Thursday at Halas Hall. "Overall, I think I did a really good job. I was physical at the line of scrimmage and made him uncomfortable at times.

"We as a defense gave him some different looks. Overall, I think we played him really well. We just have to strap back up again and go right back at it, because nothing’s going to change. I’m going to continue to challenge and get after him. You’re going to see two guys going at it and competing."

At the same time, ESPN AM-1000 radio's Tom Waddle, a former Bears receiver, on social media seems to question Johnson's willingness to compete on at least one play in last week's game. It was when he said it appeared Johnson failed to make a tackle attempt on a touchdown run by 49ers running back Isaac Guerendo.

His point was to say Bears players need to share in some of the blame in the midst of all the criticism being absorbed by coaches and others at Halas Hall. On a broader scale, it's always a problem for teams at season's end to stay competitive when they're out of the hunt but in this case it's also easy to call this being overly critical in a lost cause.

Waddle said he's not a "hater" but held this up as evidence when Johnson appeared not intent on stopping a play that might have gone for a TD, anyway.

"So watch the play, OK, now Guerendo looks like he's got a path to the end zone," Waddle said. "This is Jaylon. Again, you can tell me if Jaylon actually tries to tackle him. Guerendo is going to get in the end zone, but again I would suggest to you what if Jaylon hits him and hits the football and the ball comes flying out?"

This sort of thing has happened a few times this year, the last time when Jonathan Owens knocked the ball loose from Aaron Jones at the 1 in the first Vikings-Bears game.

"Look, as I said, I'm not a hater but as they say, the film don't lie," Waddle said as he shows the film over from different angles.

He cited several talented Bears and called Johnson a "fantastic player."

"Now again if you're trying to re-establish your football team or your approach or you're trying to regain some credibility as a team and you're trying to make sure that when you made the coaching change we're all going to come together here, we're going to give a different more concerted effort, I would ask you if that's what's going to get you out of this rut and get you back on track and my answer to my own question would be probably not."

Whether Johnson could have actually prevented a touchdown then is uncertain but Guerendo definitely was not half a step from the end zone.

The 49ers won 38-13. With the Bears now 4-9 and playing with a coaching staff that seems destined to be changed next year, the concern in the final four games does have to be motivation and staying competitive.

Johnson, though, said this should not be a concern.

"It's not hard at all," he said. "You step between those lines and try to whoop the man in front of you. That's still what the game is about. It's simplified. You dont have playoff hopes and all that, but you play for your name.

"Your resume is still out there. You can tank all you want, and that film is going to be out there forever. So I know, when I step out there, there's always something to prove regardless of the circumstances."

It's easy to wonder about the willingness of Bears players in general to compete following all of the circumstances of the season's second half.

After all, they got blown out Sunday by a 49ers team that on Thursday night was going through a willingness-to-compete crisis with one of their own players, linebacker D'Vondre Campbell, while they were still involved in the playoff chase.

The Bears are out of it, facing three good divisional opponents, still, and first-place Seattle. All of their remaining games are against playoff level teams.

The games matter, Johnson says, although the idea of being a spoiler might not. He hardly sounds like someone who has quit.

"It matters because we had three good opportunities to play against some really good teams," Johnson said. "As far as I'm concerned, we lost all those games (vs. the NFC North the first time). There's another opportunity to at least even the score.

"It'll do more to them than it would for us, of course, but at the end of the day, individually and we as a team, everybody's trying to prove themselves right now, from the coaches and players. There's still a lot to prove regardless of if it moves us up or it doesn’t in the NFC ranks."

Johnson and tight end Cole Kmet are two players hardened by years of going though losing streaks five, six, seven and 14 games long and Johnson said players mentally have to find their own individual ways to deal with it.

"Now, being my own man and my own player at this point–five years into it–going through it you start building tough skin with it," he said. "You're looking for another perspective, cause it's hard to just go year after year and, if I allow myself to be depressed over wins and losses I'm going to be in a very dark place. I know my family can't afford for me to do that.

"At the end of the day, I do what I can. I watch my film do the extra work and prepare the right way, play the game hard and try to do my part the best way I can and lead the guys. If we come out on top, that’s great if we do. If we don’t, I'm still grateful for the opportunity."

It's easy to nit-pick about one play by many players in a game already decided.

Johnson on Monday night will have plenty of incentive facing Jefferson again.

It is safe to say Johnson has never been one whose motivation has been questioned in the past, whether he's facing Jefferson or a fourth-string wide receiver on a last-place team. He wore the Pro Bowl vendetta on his sleeve until making it last year.

His commitment was never more evident than by the way he reportedly challenged his own former coach in the locker room after the blown opportunity in Detroit on Thanksgiving, and yet another devastating defeat.

At that point, it really would have been easy to simply say: who cares? And let the misery continue.

Twitter: BearsOnSI

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

BearDigest.com publisher Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.