The Bears safeties were a mess when it came to forcing turnovers in 2016. Harold Jones-Quartey had two while the rest of the position had zero. It’s a big reason why the team invested heavily at the position for another offseason. Eddie Jackson was drafted in the fourth round. The most important addition though may have been veteran Quintin Demps.
The 32-year old is coming off his best year as a pro with six interceptions for the Houston Texans. Clearly he’s figured out certain tricks to getting more takeaways. Indeed he has. During a discussion with JJ Stankevitz of CSN Chicago, Demps revealed his secret. The funny part is it has less to due with instincts, athleticism or speed.
Turns out it all goes back to the fundamentals.
Quintin Demps stresses learning to tackle before intercepting
One of the lost arts in the NFL these days is tackling. It may seem like one of the lesser important jobs for a defense but that’s far from the truth. Teams that are often the most efficient in tackling tend to play great defense. This was a persistent problem for the Bears, who missed routine tackles to allow extra yards. That’s something Demps intends to put a stop to.
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“Turnovers are like, it’s not something that you go get, it’s something you let come to you by doing your job first and then helping out,” Demps said. “And then you’d be surprised how they come to you by doing your job and being aware of when you can help somebody out. A lot of times when you get help is when you get picks and turnovers.
I tell my safeties all the time, we gotta tackle first,” Demps said. “Tackle first, don’t miss any tackles and then the picks are going to come. I promise you that.”
That video indicates what Demps is referring to. It’s less about seeking the big play and more about doing his job. The idea being that if he and 10 other guys on defense do their jobs right, the takeaways are going to be there. That’s just something a young group of players is still figuring out. It’s also why Demps was signed in the first place. That is exactly what the Bears coaches and front office wanted him to do. Mentor and teach, both through words and by example.
It mind sound boring and technical, but there’s a reason for that. It works. Part of what made those Lovie Smith defenses so great a decade ago was their ability to tackle. They strung drives out, forcing opponents to work their way down the field. This increased the odds of them making a mistake. More of than not, it proved true.
Demps understands this.
