Bears confident Brisker, Gordon can handle Week 1 test vs. 49ers

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LAKE FOREST – Head coach Matt Eberflus and general manager Ryan Poles revamped the secondary this offseason, injecting youth and talent into a unit that was among the worst in the NFL last season.

That youthful talent – cornerback Kyler Gordon and safety Jaquan Brisker – finally arrives Sunday when the San Francisco 49ers come to Soldier Field.

Rookie defensive backs often have growing pains. The game is faster. The processing speed has to increase tenfold. But there is no doubt that the two second-round picks are ready for their moment around Halas Hall.

"I have a crap-ton of confidence in those guys," linebacker Roquan Smith said Thursday. "Those guys bust their tails day-in and day-out. Brisker, he don't play like a rookie nor do he think like a rookie, so I love that guy's mindset, the way he comes out and how he attacks each and every day. And Gordon the way he's aligned and the way he's been playing as of recent I like him a lot so I'm very confident in those guys."

Brisker and Gordon have impressed since the moment they arrived in Chicago. Brisker's hard-nosed, physical play style has paired well with veteran safety Eddie Jackson, allowing the former Pro Bowler to move back to his preferred position at free safety.

Brisker authored a loud NFL preseason debut against the Kansas City Chiefs. A three-play sequence showed the Bears and the NFL exactly what the Penn State product can do on an NFL field.

First, Brisker delivered a bone-crushing hit that spun receiver Skyy Moore like a top. On the next play, he came around the edge and hammered running back Derrick Gore Jr. Two plays later, he baited quarterback Shane Buechele into throwing the ball to tight end Noah Gray. Brisker closed the second the ball left Buechele's hand, darted in front of Gray, and knocked the ball away.

"They brought me in here to make plays, create turnovers, make big hits, and great tackles and lead them to a championship," Brisker said in the Bears' locker room after his preseason debut.

Unfortunately, Brisker also suffered a thumb injury during the game and was forced to miss the remainder of the preseason. But the rookie is fully cleared and hasn't missed a beat while out. He has no doubt he'll be ready to go Sunday.

"I feel like I'll be 120% by the time I'm back," Brisker said. "I feel like I'm ahead of schedule, which I am.
"Just come in, just show people who Jaquan Brisker really is. It's just me, no one else."

As for Gordon, the Bears have put a lot on his plate, asking him to learn outside corner and nickel responsibilities during his first offseason and training camp. The Washington product's unique movement skills and coverage abilities have the Bears buzzing about his long-term potential.

But it's something else that might be even more beneficial to the rookie as he begins his NFL journey.

"Steady personality. Yeah. Very steady personality," defensive coordinator Alan Williams said of Gordon. "And we call it being emotionally stable. So that with all our guys also same thing that there may be a play when you miss a tackle. There may be a play where you intercept the ball. You still want to stay stable because the ball game is a long ballgame. There are ebbs and flows. Season: same thing."
 
Having two rookies ascend to starting roles so quickly is rare. But the Bears don't believe Brisker and Gordon are typical rookies. The Bears also needed them to start on Day 1. There was no other option.
 
"It's just the way they practice," Williams said of the ascent by Gordon and Brisker. "You'd like to think the way they practice will translate into how they play.

"They've assimilated into the defense well. The unknown is actually going out to see them play in a ball game. But the way they've prepared, the way they've practiced has been really good."
 
Gordon and Brisker will face a stiff test right out of the gates. 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan is a master at putting defenders in difficult positions and exploiting their tendencies and weaknesses. Rookies tend to get over-excited and jumpy, which can lead to mistakes.
 
Gordon and Brisker both had "happy feet" during their first preseason games, leading to typical mistakes.
 
That can't happen against Shanahan, Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk, and the 49ers. If it does, they'll make the rookies pay.
 
It's a big moment for Brisker and Gordon, but they'll be no special pep talk from Jackson or star cornerback Jaylon Johnson. They believe the rookies are ready for the challenge Samuel, a YAC king, and the 49ers present.
 
"I talked to Quan he knows what time it is," Jackson told NBC Sports Chicago. "They see what it is. They going to have to tackle. He's a running back. He plays different positions. We going to have to pepper him. We going to have to make him feel real uncomfortable."

Brisker and Gordon are the first pieces of the foundation of the Bears' rebuild. Two cornerstones for the next great Bears defense.

Their ascent has been rapid. Their instincts and mindset impressive. But now the games count. Samuel, Aiyuk, and Shanahan will give them their introductory NFL test. One the Bears are confident they will pass.

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