J.C. Jackson grateful to make amends following penalties | VIDEO

CHICAGO – J.C. Jackson hasn’t earned many opportunities this season, but when he has, he’s aimed to make the most of them.

That’s what made the start of Sunday’s game in Chicago so painstaking.

The undrafted rookie cornerback was inserted into the game to replace starting cornerback Jason McCourty. In the second quarter, on the same drive, he committed two penalties – one was declined. Then in the third quarter, he committed his third. [...]

CHICAGO – J.C. Jackson hasn’t earned many opportunities this season, but when he has, he’s aimed to make the most of them.

That’s what made the start of Sunday’s game in Chicago so painstaking.

The undrafted rookie cornerback was inserted into the game to replace starting cornerback Jason McCourty. In the second quarter, on the same drive, he committed two penalties – one was declined. Then in the third quarter, he committed his third.

Jackson could’ve been benched after the third penalty and no one would’ve questioned why. Instead, he got back in the game and proved the coaches right by intercepting Michell Trubisky in the second half.

“That meant a lot to me,” Jackson said of the coaches keeping him in the game. “I feel like they know I can play… They just said keep playing, keep playing aggressive. Play your game, but eliminate the penalties.”

On the same drive, in the second quarter, Jackson was flagged for illegal use of hands twice. The first was declined, but the second penalty came on an incomplete pass on third down. Instead of attempting a field goal, the Bears ended up finishing that drive with a touchdown.

At 7:03 of the third quarter, Jackson was then flagged for defensive pass interference while covering Taylor Gabriel.

“I just tried to make an aggressive play, but 18 [Gabriel] is so small I just when I stuck my hands, I hit him in the face on accident and they called it,” Jackson said.

After that, McCourty came back into the game, but when Eric Rowe left with a groin injury, Jackson was back on the field.  Then at 3:46 of the third quarter, Jackson jumped in front of Joshua Bellamy and intercepted Trubisky. It marked his second-career interception.

“You just got to be disciplined. You can’t be looking back at the quarterback,” Jackson said. “I kept my eyes on the receiver and I just made a play.”