Jaquan Brisker does not lack confidence, and that energy permeates throughout the Chicago Bears’ defense on the field.
The Bears’ Week 12 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers perfectly encapsulated that.
The Bears had watched as their early lead dwindled, turning into a multi-score deficit. However, after retaking the lead in the fourth quarter, it came down to a defensive stand, and Brisker called his own number.
Jaquan Brisker Called Own Number to End Bears’ Game
Bears’ Jaquan Brisker Gets Candid About Game-Sealing Play
With 21 seconds on the clock, and the Steelers at the Bears’ 47-yard line, Brisker jumped up and deflected Mason Rudolph’s fourth-down pass attempt to D.K. Metcalf. That was only part of the magic, though.
Brisker was mic’d up for the contest, and the Bears shared footage of him on the sideline before the defense took the field. Brisker told himself to “make a play” and to “go end the game.”
And then, he did, celebrating in-kind.
“It was nice. Obviously, I got confidence in myself. Got a lot of confidence. Want my name to be called when the game was on the line, which it was. And I’m really just talking that confidence into myself even more, and then, making it happen. I feel like earlier in the game, I had a pass where I thought I could have picked it,” Brisker told Clocker Sports on Wednesday. “I’m like, ‘Next time that happens – I’m gonna just get it next time.’
“I end up tipping it, winning the game. But I always have confidence in myself in those moments, things like that. Prepare myself, all through the summer, all through the spring, and it came to fruition.”
Brisker had 7 total stops against the Steelers, and none were as critical or timely as his deflection.
Jaquan Brisker in Attack Mode
Brisker is a key piece for the 8-3 Bears, whose defensive rankings – 27th overall and in scoring – belie their ability to flip a game on its ear.
Likewise, Brisker’s per-game pace suggests he is on track for a career low in tackles.
However, he has already blitzed 33 times this season, per Pro Football Reference. That already smashes his previous high of 20, set in 15 games during the 2023 season. Brisker has 1 interception, 1.0 sacks, and 4 pass deflections this season.
Fellow safety Kevin Byard and cornerback Nahshon Wright are tied for the league lead in interceptions entering Week 13.
Nickelback C.J. Gardner-Johnson has 3.0 sacks. Jaylon Johnson and Kyler Gordon could return this week.
And yet, Brisker creates positive momentum for himself and his teammates as well as anyone else on the Bears’ defense. It is a key factor the team must weigh as they deliberate about his future, with Brisker in the final year of his rookie contract.
Jaquan Brisker Could Have Extra Motivation in Week 13
There is a chance the Bears see another splashy day for Brisker, who could have additional support in the stands in Week 13 against the Philadelphia Eagles.
“We’re gonna see. I don’t know,” he told Clocker Sports. “I got a couple people. It’s like 6 hours.”
Brisker is a Pittsburgh native who attended Lackawanna College in Scranton, two-plus hours away, before transferring to Penn State in University Park. Even PSU is over three hours away. But any additional motivation for Brisker is surplus for the Bears’ DB.