"CHICAGO -- D'Marco Jackson added a wrinkle to his routine upon learning that he was starting at middle linebacker and calling defensive plays for the Chicago Bears against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday. He set his alarm earlier each morning so he could stand in the mirror and bark out the calls as he committed them to memory. It was only the second time in his three-year career that the 27-year-old linebacker wore the green dot on his helmet and had to call the defense."
"Jackson finished with a team-high 15 tackles in the Bears' 31-28 victory. For a defense decimated by injuries, the contributions from Chicago's reserves were critical as the Bears won their fourth straight and eighth of their last nine to remain atop the NFC North with an 8-3 record. Without its top three linebackers Tremaine Edmunds, who landed on injured reserve Saturday, T.J. Edwards and Noah Sewell, Chicago's ultra-thin unit tapped deep into its depth in Week 12."
D'Marco Jackson prepared to start at middle linebacker and call defensive plays by setting his alarm earlier and practicing calls in the mirror. The 27-year-old wore the green dot for only the second time in his three-year career. His wife, Carly, assumed extra childcare responsibilities so he could rest before the game. Jackson finished with a team-high 15 tackles in a 31-28 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers. Chicago's defense faced heavy injuries, losing its top three linebackers, and relied on reserves to secure a fourth straight win and an 8-3 record atop the NFC North.
Read at ESPN.com
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