Eddie Jackson made it perfectly clear a there's a piece missing from the Bears' defense after the Bears' loss to the Minnesota Vikings.
That piece is named Jaylon Johnson.
But, Jackson alluded to the starting corner's potential return for Thursday night.
"When a guy like Jaylon is out, it’s always tough but happy to get him back next week, for sure," Jackson said after the game.
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Johnson's missed the past three games with a quad injury. His absence has left a considerable gap in the defense, evidenced by Justin Jefferson's (12 catches, 154 yards) and Kirk Cousins' (32-of-41, 296 yards, one touchdown) performances.
The Bears' defense had trouble stopping the Vikings early in the game. Minnesota scored a touchdown on their first three drives. Cousins completed his first 17 pass attempts – now a Vikings' franchise record.
If Johnson played on Sunday, there's a better chance Jefferson doesn't haul in 10 catches in the first half.
Matt Eberflus and Alan Williams adjusted well at halftime – keeping Jefferson to two catches in the second half. But, the Vikings had enough production in the first half and energy in the second half to run away from the Bears, despite their 19-point comeback.
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“When you have a guy like that [Johnson] out you miss him every game – week in, week out," Jackson said after the game. "You know what Jaylon can do. He shut down any No. 1 receiver, easy. So, just trying to get him healthy, get him back, it’s going to help us out."
Johnson practiced diligently throughout the week before the team listed him doubtful for Sunday's game. More, he took the Vikings' field before the game to do some light work.
It's possible he suits up for Thursday against the Washington Commanders. For this week, Eberflus plans to take practice lightly with "walkthroughs" and a helmet-only day on Wednesday focused on speed.
For now, he's focused on fixing mistakes from Sunday's game and keeping players healthy.
"You got to be mindful of the guys but you gotta get the playing in," Eberflus said postgame. "You really can't talk much about this game. You can make your corrections in a handful of plays but you gotta go onto the next one."