Tom Brady has been around long enough to know where the rookies are without even looking.
Sure enough, the Buccaneers’ Hall of Fame-bound quarterback tested Bears rookie cornerback Jaylon Johnson early in Thursday night’s game at Soldier Field. It was a learning experience for sure for the 22-year-old Johnson, with mixed results in the first half.
On the Buccaneers’ second series of the game, Brady went after Johnson on third-and-6 from his 19-yard line with a deep ball to tight end Tanner Hudson down the left sideline. Johnson was up to the task, staying with Hudson stride-for-stride and breaking up the pass to force a punt.
Later in the quarter, Johnson missed a tackle on wide receiver Tyler Johnson on a ball over the middle and Johnson spun away and turned it into a 35-yard gain to the 9-yard line.
It’s hard to call it a rookie mistake, because veteran linebacker Danny Trevathan had an even better shot at Johnson at the Bears’ 25-yard line on Brady’s throw over the middle and also missed the tackle by failing to wrap up.
Three plays later, on third-and-goal from the 2-yard line, Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans beat Johnson on a slant route for a touchdown that gave the Buccaneers a 10-0 lead.
Johnson’s eventful first half against Brady continued later in the second quarter when he was called for pass interference on a first-down pass to wide receiver Cyril Grayson down the left sideline. Johnson was physical on the play and the flag flew after Grayson fell down. It went for a 16-yard play to the Bears’ 20-yard line.
But the Bears’ defense held from there, stopping the Buccaneers on three consecutive downs, with Brady throwing incomplete on two plays. The Buccaneers settled for Ryan Succop’s 35-yard field goal for a 13-0 lead with 7:03 left in the half.
All in all, Johnson did a credible job, though, often working against the talented, 6-5, 231-pound Evans. It didn’t hurt that Evans is working through a hamstring issue and didn’t have the same explosiveness and leaping ability he normally does. The touchdown was his only reception in the first half.
Johnson, a second-round draft pick from Utah, has been as good as advertised this season, if not better.
“I’m definitely surprised he’s been able to step in and do as well as he’s doing,” Bears cornerback Buster Skrine said last week. “But the thing I can say about Jaylon is there are no ups and downs with him. Jaylon is the same all the time.
“The way he is in practice — like laid-back and confident — he’s the same way in the game. Step in the huddle, he looks the same exact way. So definitely a great pick-up for our team.”
Johnson’s cool demeanor has been his strong-suit since he arrived at Halas Hall. And that came in handy against Brady, whose reputation alone can be daunting for a rookie, no matter how bold they might appear on the outside.
“I’m preparing for [Brady] the same way I prepare for everybody else,” Johnson said plainly earlier this week. “I mean, I’m not going into it putting any extra pressure on myself or on the situation at hand — just trying to prepare myself the best way I can, just like I’ve been doing week-in and week-out.
“We all know his resume and what he can do, so we just need to be in position to make plays.”
