Blackwell found opportunity, comfort with Bears

Blackwell quickly excelled in the role, forcing and recovering a fumble in punt coverage during the Bears’ Week 4 game against the Giants. Special teams coordinator Richard Hightower said the rookie’s speed and physicality were key on the play, but Blackwell’s ability to use techniques he learned in practice and “carry a drill onto the field” left a stronger impression.

Each week, Blackwell continued to expand his responsibilities on special teams, playing 60 percent of the snaps this season. But leading up to the Bears’ Dec. 4 matchup against the Packers, Blackwell learned he’d get his first start on defense alongside fellow rookie Jaylon Jones as starting cornerbacks Kyler Gordon and Kindle Vildor were out with injuries.

Blackwell’s first start would also be the first time he played a defensive snap in the NFL. In the beginning of the season as the rookie got acclimated to the defense, he would get one or two reps at cornerback in practice. A few games in, Blackwell started working with the defensive staff more regularly and by Week 7 or 8, he was taking full reps in practices.

“When I started to grasp the defense and was thrown a little more into practice, I was like, ‘okay, they’re starting to trust me a little bit more,'” Blackwell said. “So that’s when I said, ‘okay, let me start watching film like I’m gonna play.’ And there were some times throughout the season where they were like, ‘we might need you to go because somebody’s dinged up a little bit.’ And I’m like, ‘okay, I’m ready to go.’ So it was a good balance. We watch film in here as a team, special teams, defense together anyways. But the little extra at home had to ramp up the more I started to learn the defense.”

While Blackwell was starting his first NFL game against players he grew up watching, like Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers and receiver Randall Cobb, taking the field didn’t feel much different.

Keeping a level-headed mindset allowed Blackwell to shine in his defensive debut, most notably forcing punts on the Packers’ first two possessions of the second half. Blackwell’s tight coverage forced an incompletion intended for receiver Allen Lazard on third-and-1 then on third-and-15, he wrapped up tight end Robert Tonyan five yards short of the first-down marker.

Blackwell had a large role on defense again last Saturday when the Bills came to Chicago, playing 63 percent of the defensive snaps and breaking up a deep ball intended for receiver Isaiah McKenzie in the fourth quarter.

“If you…