The Bears got a lot out of their 30-24 Week 7 win over the Patriots, but D’Marco Jackson may have changed the conversation the most.
With T.J. Edwards sidelined for a second straight game because of injury, Jackson slid into the starting lineup alongside Devin Bush at inside linebacker. That pairing held up well, and Jackson in particular looked like he belonged in a bigger role.
The turning point came in the second quarter, when Jackson intercepted Drake Maye in the end zone and shut down a Patriots drive that appeared headed for points. It was the kind of play that swings a game, and it was only the biggest moment in a strong overall outing.
Jackson ended the day with six tackles, one pass deflection and one interception. Pro Football Focus tagged him with the highest defender grade on the team at 90.5 overall. He also led Chicago with three run stops and gave up just 28 receiving yards on four catches allowed.
It wasn’t a one-off, either. Over the season, Jackson has now produced 21 tackles, one pass deflection and one interception across seven games and six starts.
The bigger story for Chicago is what he has done over the last two weeks. Jackson has logged 58% of the Bears’ defensive snaps this season, and with Edwards out he has started to make a real case for more work. The improvement has shown up in coverage, the area where he has usually been most vulnerable.
Against Atlanta in Week 6 and New England in Week 7, Jackson held up well in coverage. He is still giving up completions, but he is keeping the damage down, which is exactly what a linebacker needs to do.
That kind of steadiness could push the Bears toward some changes in how they handle the linebacker rotation. Jackson deserves more snaps, and the team may need to figure out a way to work him in more often with Edwards and Bush.
Chicago’s defense has been up and down, but Jackson has helped stabilize it in the last few games. Based on what he’s shown, there’s a strong case that he should be on the field more often.
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