Coach Ben Johnson felt the game-changing moment of Sunday's 31-3 win over the Browns occurred with 8:53 left in the third quarter.
On the first play of Cleveland's second possession out of the halftime break, Bears linebacker D'Marco Jackson dropped a couple yards off the line of scrimmage, reading quarterback Shedeur Sanders' eyes as he hung in the pocket. Sanders fired a pass toward tight end Harold Fannin Jr., but the ball never made it within five yards of its intended target.
Instead, it landed in the hands of Jackson, who leapt at the 20-yard line to tip the ball up before securing it for his first career interception.
"Once this play happened, it really ignited it the rest of the way," Johnson said before awarding Jackson a game ball in the locker room after the game.
Jackson's pick marked the first of three second-half interceptions for the Bears turned into seven points on the very next play when quarterback Caleb Williams and receiver DJ Moore connected for a remarkable 22-yard touchdown.
"We really needed it because we were able to capitalize and make it into 21-3, and it felt like we took firm control of the game there at that point," Johnson told reporters.
Since making his first career start in the victory over the Steelers Nov. 23 when fellow linebackers T.J. Edwards, Noah Sewell and Tremaine Edmunds were all sidelined with injuries, Jackson has held down the middle linebacker position and taken advantage of each opportunity.
Jackson not only ignited the flurry of interceptions, he also recorded the first of five sacks by the Bears defense — which was also his first career sack — by dropping Sanders for a loss of eight yards to close out the first quarter. While humbled by his second game ball in four weeks, the fourth-year pro put the attention back on his teammates.
"For me, personally, it's an amazing accomplishment," Jackson said. "Just putting that confidence in myself to go out there and execute, but at the same time, I feel like it's about the whole defense and how we operate together as a system. So I feel like when one person has success, it's never really just that one person. It's the whole system working together."
Edwards, who has now started alongside Jackson the past two weeks since returning from injury, did not shy away from giving his teammate his well-deserved flowers.
"I think he just made a hell of a play," Edwards said. "He kind of got in the window of where they were trying to go. I don't think they saw him. We gave him crap, because he tipped it. We were like, 'you were trying to drop it.' But, also, I was just super happy for him.
"I think it just shows [football is] the ultimate team sport. And I feel like he's just taking advantage of every opportunity he's had, and I'm happy for him. He's super humble. He's a great addition to the room."
Like Johnson said, the interception-touchdown sequence allowed the Bears to take control of the game, but cornerback Jaylon Johnson wanted to take that momentum a step further in just his third game back from injury.
The Browns quickly reached Bears territory on their ensuing drive with a 47-yard pass from Sanders to receiver Isaiah Bond. But on third-and-9 from the 24, Sanders dropped back and, as he was hit by defensive end Montez Sweat, unleashed a pass intended for receiver Jerry Jeudy along the right sideline in the end zone with Johnson in tight coverage.
What followed can only be described as sorcery. It appeared Sanders had dropped the ball right in Jeudy's lap for a touchdown, but as the receiver crossed the goal line and ran out of the side of the end zone, Johnson remained standing in play and with the ball in his left hand.
The majority of fans at Soldier Field, as well as Johnson's teammates, had a delayed reaction to the spectacular takeaway.
"I had no idea what happened," Edwards said. "I was kind of jogging off, and then all of a sudden, he had the ball and was walking to the camera. Just cool to see him make a play. And it's typical Jaylon Johnson."
Johnson expected the ball to come his way – he heard Sanders and Jeudy talking before the snap. While he put himself in position to make the play, even still, he didn't know exactly what had happened.
"I mean, really just playing the ball through [Jeudy's] eyes and not really panicking at all, just understanding where the ball was gonna come," Johnson said, "and then it happened to fall right into my hand. So just held on and stayed in bounds."
The only person on the field with a clear view of the two-time Pro Bowler's takeaway was safety Kevin Byard III, who was running toward the play.
"I just saw him snatch the ball," Byard said. "I just wasn't sure if he actually got his feet in. But it was an incredible play. I was just in awe. Like, he actually snatched the ball from him.
"It was impressive, man, and it was awesome to see, honestly, just from a personal side too. To see all he's battled through this year to be able to come back this season. It was just an incredible play by an incredible player."
Rounding out the defense's impressive performance was nickel back C.J. Gardner-Johnson, who secured the Bears' league-leading 30th takeaway of the season with a third interception of Sanders.
On a second-and-3 during the Browns' first fourth quarter drive, Sanders attempted another deep ball, this time to Fannin. As Gardner-Johnson dropped back in coverage, he kept his eyes on Sanders, allowing him to get into the passing lane and making a leaping over-the-shoulder grab before returning it 32 yards to the Cleveland 22.
Since joining the Bears before their Nov. 2 victory in Cincinnati, Gardner-Johnson has accounted for three takeaways — two interceptions and a forced fumble — and recorded 37 tackles, five tackles-for-loss and 3.0 sacks. Having played with Gardner-Johnson in Philadelphia, Edwards has enjoyed watching the seventh-year pro bring his playmaking ability to Chicago.
"Obviously you know the personality that he brings, but he also brings that energy on the field," Edwards said. "I think, first and foremost, that's kind of the best thing that he does is just constant juice and energy. Talking to everybody, screaming, whatever. He's always been a playmaker. So I know he's gonna be around the ball, and again, a guy who's come in and just taken advantage of opportunities."
The Bears continue to lead the league in takeaways and interceptions (21), both of which are the most by any team through the first 14 games of a season since the 2021 Cowboys and the most by a Bears team since 2018.
After scoring two touchdowns and a field goal off the three takeaways against the Browns, the Bears have accumulated 97 points off takeaways this season, which is tied for the second most in the league and highlights their ability to play complementary football and, in turn, reach 10 wins and earn a fifth consecutive victory at Soldier Field.
"When you get the interceptions, you get the turnovers, the fumbles, whatever it may be, you want to go down and score," Williams told reporters. "It creates a sense of momentum for us and it gets everybody in it, gets everybody going. That momentum is important to help us win games. Shifting energy, shifting momentum, shifting the points and adding one more possession for us is huge.
"That's something we preach, something we're gonna keep harping on, keep growing at is when the defense creates these turnovers, we gotta go score."
