Jaquan Brisker, Kyler Gordon shine

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Brisker, Gordon both shine as Bears D stymies Pats originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago

When Ryan Poles opted to draft two defensive backs with his first two picks instead of adding a wide receiver or an offensive lineman to the offense, there was some head scratching. For the most part fans and experts recognized that the Bears roster was filled with holes at practically every position, necessitating picks on defense and offense alike, but still, most thought Poles was going to add a player to help out Justin Fields earlier than the No. 71 overall pick when he selected Velus Jones.

When those rookie DBs, Kyler Gordon and Jaquan Brisker, each struggled at times over the first six weeks while offensive rookies flourished elsewhere, quiet questioning of the draft day decisions turned to loud criticism of missed opportunities.

On Monday night, both Gordon and Brisker quieted that noise.

Each man came away with his first career interception as the Bears walloped the Patriots in New England, 33-14.

“The one Brisker had was pretty amazing,” said Matt Eberflus. “I mean that was a really good play. For him, that concentration to get both feet in bounds, that was excellent.”

Calling Brisker’s pick “amazing” actually felt like an understatement given the raw athleticism he put on display to make the play. He broke perfectly on the ball, timed his jump well, then fully extended to make a one-handed grab. If you took a freeze-frame of his catch, it’d look more like Michael Jordan winding up for a one-handed dunk than a football player intercepting a pass.

“The one that Gordon had I think was tipped twice, he had to tip it to himself there,” said Eberflus. “Then the return, he did what weー took it up the sideline. Did a nice job with that.”

While Brisker’s catch was an eye-popping highlight, Gordon’s required serious concentration, too. As Eberflus mentioned, tacking on 42-yard return is exactly what the Bears want from their defenders. They want their guys to be greedy. Don’t just take the ball away, take it away and score.

Eberflus believes that each interception should help build confidence in the young players, but both Gordon and Brisker should feel good about the routine plays they made. Brisker has been caught making mistakes in run defense throughout the year, but he played soundly against the Patriots and ended up second on the team with seven tackles. Gordon had no tackles, but one could argue that’s a good thing considering quarterbacks had picked on him in the earlier stages of the year. On Monday, Gordon held his own in pass coverage.

Growth and development of young players in the NFL is never a straight line pointing up. There are always going to be dips, and there will likely be more tough moments for each DB in the future. But correcting mistakes is always easier coming off of a win, and Monday night could prove to be a valuable stepping stone for both Gordon and Brisker.