LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- Eddie Jackson wasn't aware of Dan Hampton's postgame comments after the Bears were pounded 38-20 by the Green Bay Packers in the season opener at Soldier Field.
Since watching the WGN postgame show wasn't on Jackson's schedule after the deflating loss, Hampton's tirade didn't come across his radar until the media brought it up to the veteran safety on Thursday at Halas Hall.
"I hear that and, 'Hey, shouts out to Dan Hampton,'" Jackson said, laughing. "I don't know. If that's his opinion on it, that's his opinion on it. We're just going to go out there and like I said, just stay over there. You can talk bad but when things are good, stay on that side."
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Hampton, a Pro Football Hall of Famer and Bears legend, called Jackson a "clown" after the loss and said the Bears shouldn't play the veteran safety going forward.
On Sunday against the Packers, Jackson allowed one catch for 8 yards and a touchdown and did not miss a tackle, per Pro Football Focus.
The Bears' defense, which touted its "dominant" ability all training camp, was ripped apart by the Packers and head coach Matt LaFleur in Week 1.
Second-year safety Jaquan Brisker said he felt the unit came in "riding too high" and that they needed to be "slapped in the face."
That assessment rings true for Jackson and star cornerback Jaylon Johnson.
"Most definitely," Jackson said. "I wouldn't say it was a good thing it happened, but I would rather it happen early on in the season. Then you can see like, 'Alright, what we made of?' Everyone is going to write us off. We know. We used to it. Everyone with the 'Oh, it's the same Bears' routine. We get it. Just stay on that side when it's time. We trying to build something. We not listening to all the outside noise. We know what we got here. We know that Week 1, that wasn't us at all. I feel like we will never have a game like that again this season, especially on defense."
"I think it's easy for everyone to come out of camp and feel like we are on top," Johnson said Thursday. "Then you come out there and you get something like that, it's like let us -- I wouldn't even say come down -- but let's get back to work. I think it's just humble yourself, get back to work, get back to the drawing board, and come out more hungry. I feel like if you come out on top, you kind of feel like you're on top of the world and then at some point you're going to get hit in your mouth. We got hit in our mouth the first week, so it's just carrying on that motivation and carrying on that hunger."
BEARS ANALYSIS
A lot has been made of the Bears' apparent lack of juice and energy Sunday. Multiple shots during the broadcast showed a dejected Bears sideline in the second half.
Brisker and quarterback Justin Fields texted each other about ensuring they get the energy up for both of their units and it stays up. Head coach Matt Eberflus attributed that lack of energy to a lack of execution.
Johnson probably put it best.
"Energy comes from execution at the end of the day, and when you're getting your ass whooped, there ain't no energy," Johnson said. "If you see people with energy on the sidelines when they getting they ass whooped, something's wrong. We got to execute to be able to drive that energy."