At the beginning of August, the Chicago Bears were ramping up training camp. The offense had some strong early practices. Then, the pads went on for the first time. That day, the defense dominated the offense in every facet. It wasn’t just the lack of execution that stood out. Many in attendance felt a palpable lack of energy from the offense in general. Darnell Mooney admitted they didn’t bring enough “juice.” It’s never something you want to hear that early in camp. Safety Jaquan Brisker seems to recognize the problem as well.
After all, it popped up again when the Bears faced the Green Bay Packers on opening day. This was a game people had been hyping up for months. If there was any contest they should’ve been energized for, it was this one. Instead, the Bears were brushed off the field 38-20. Most troubling was how demoralized, listless, and even disinterested they looked. Brisker revealed he had a frank conversation with quarterback Justin Fields about it after the game. As leaders, this is not something they can allow to happen moving forward.
Jaquan Brisker is right to be concerned.
This is becoming a recurring problem. Energy and enthusiasm should not be a concern from an NFL roster on gameday, especially from a team as young as the Bears. For this to happen a second time in such a short span is an enormous red flag. It speaks to there being a leadership void of some kind. Not just at the player level either. It makes one wonder if Matt Eberflus and his coaches are doing enough to get these guys ready each week. Word is they’re already getting some heat inside the building for the fiasco last Sunday.
If nothing else, at least Jaquan Brisker is trying to do something about the problem. The young safety has worked hard to embrace the role of a leader this season. He’s not afraid to speak his mind or get in teammates’ faces. He can’t do it alone, though. Others must step up if the Bears are going to get the ship righted before it’s too late. It doesn’t look good. Some feel a loss to Tampa Bay on Sunday could start the season spiraling before it’s barely begun. Jobs could be on the line if that happens.
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