(670 The Score) Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson has long sought to prove himself as one of the best at his position in the NFL and is vying for All-Pro recognition this season. With that as his goal, his aim is to be a key contributor and playmaker in victories.
Johnson knows he missed a key opportunity to fulfill those hopes during the Bears' heartbreaking 31-26 loss to the Lions on Sunday at Ford Field. Early in the second quarter as the Lions drove deep into Bears territory, he couldn’t haul in a potential interception that almost certainly would’ve gone the other way for a pick-six of 98 yards or so.
“That one is going to hurt for a long minute,” Johnson said on the Parking & Spiegel Show on Monday. “It might hurt until I get the next pick-six. I mean, we’re going to see. I’ve got to get that out of my memory bank. I plan on getting to the end zone soon. But that one stings. That one was hurting last night. I couldn’t really sleep thinking about that one.
“Honestly, it happened kind of quick. One, I couldn’t get both hands on it and it ended up kind of tipping off the fingers on my right hand. But I’ve replayed it my head a lot of times by now. Maybe I undercut it too early. But even in the moment, I got there fast on the ball.
“Still got to find a way to bring that in, maybe find a way to tip it up, grab it and take off with it. Some way, some how, that’s got to be a pick-six.”
Johnson has two interceptions this season, with both coming in a win on Oct. 22. One of those was a pick-six, the first of his career.
The Lions scored a touchdown on the play after Johnson's pass break-up. The Bears later blew a 12-point lead in the final minutes to lose this game.