Chicago Bears safety explains getting steamrolled by Fred Jackson
By Cory Buck
The Chicago Bears lost a stunner at home to begin their 2014 NFL season, leaving many to wonder what went wrong. In a nutshell, it was turnovers that tipped the scale in favor of the visiting Buffalo Bills, who were underdogs by a touchdown entering Week 1. However it was an attempted turnover in overtime that resulted in one of the most entertaining plays of this game and of the entire first week.
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With the Bills driving in Bears’ territory in overtime, Fred Jackson cut back through the middle of the line and found daylight with no one but Bears safety Chris Conte to stop him. Conte repeatedly tried to swipe at the ball tucked in Jackson’s arm, but Freddy would have nothing to do with it, shoving Conte once, twice, then a third time to send Conte to the turf and Jackson mere inches from the goal line. The Bills kicked a field goal minutes later to win the game.
Conte however didn’t see the play as being one in which he was steamrolled. Rather it was one that came as a result of the safety doing what he had to do.
“So if I hit him, it’s a field goal no matter what,” Conte said per the Chicago Sun-Times. “So I’ve gotta try to get the ball out. It’s just a desperation play.”
You can hardly blame Conte for any part of that play. As he said, the only chance for the Bears to salvage another OT try (other than a missed field goal) was to force a fumble, which would have been Conte’s second forced turnover of the game after he picked off EJ Manuel earlier in the second half.
Unfortunately Fred Jackson is hardly the cat to try that with. Credit Conte for putting the team above his own ego in an effort to save the game.