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Bear Digest

Bears Message to Jaylon Johnson and Tyrique Stevenson: Simply Shake It Off

The Bears cornerbacks were supposed to be the steady veterans of the secondary but instead they made the big mistakes against the Panthers, and look to rebound.
Gene Chamberlain|
Panthers wide receiver Jalen Coker catches it in the fourth quarter against Bears cornerback Tyrique Stevenson in Sunday's second half.
Panthers wide receiver Jalen Coker catches it in the fourth quarter against Bears cornerback Tyrique Stevenson in Sunday's second half. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

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Chicago Bears

Veteran players require no special treatment or threats when things go wrong, especially a veteran like cornerback Jaylon Johnson.

He and Tyrique Stevenson got the message anyway, from Ben Johnson's comments regarding their breakdowns against the Carolina Panthers. The situation has been addressed and all involved say it will be corrected. It needs to be because Justin Jefferson is coming to Soldier Field on Sunday.

"I mean, line up, let's go," defensive coordinator Dennis Allen said. "Week 2, you know what I mean? Like, we have to be man enough to admit and see where we fell short, all right? What can we do to improve our performance? What can we do to maybe improve our preparation, those types of things?

"And then let's focus on playing outstanding this week, because that one's done. Let's move on to this one and let's play better as a group."

Passer ratings against tell the tale

Stevenson has nowhere else to go but up after his passer rating against was 158.3, the worst possible number. He gave up the 51-yard touchdown pass to Jalen Coker while playing 10 yards off the line of scrimmage. With Johnson, it's a bit different but he did allow a 113.7 passer rating per Pro Football Reference. A forced fumble kept his day from being a real problem.

"We just know the importance of cleaning it up in the film room and then letting that translate into practice and not having repeat mistakes," Johnson said. :I think that's what it's about, and what they're (coaches) speaking to: not having repeat mistakes and doing the same things going into the next week. Just getting, like I said, back to basics, having good technique, and then not making serious mistakes."

DBs coach Al Harris called it a progressive improvement in mental outlook since the two finished the game.

"Both guys were super bummed out, and right from the start, you know what I mean?" he said. "They're professionals. I was bummed out, they were bummed out.

"The silver lining is that we got the dub. First game. It is what it is, but our standard is the standard. So they came back ready to work, watched the tape, took accountability. I was impressed with the day after, I should say, you know what I mean?"

Johnson recalled each of the disaster plays and realized his fault.

"Well, I mean, the first one, the out and up, I think for me it’s just being aggressive, which I'm not mad at that play," he said. "I mean, at the end of the day, when you get a read from the quarterback, you get quick-game. Sometimes it's going to happen. So I wasn't too concerned about that play.

"I would say the one in Cover 2 just happened to be scramble drill. You look inside, see where the quarterback's at, that flat player is now up the field. So things like that are bad timing things."

Johnson actually got beat on the play where he knocked the ball loose from Tet McMillan as Dillon Thieneman made the tackle.

"And then the one with Tet that I happen to get out at the end instead of turning underneath, I’ve got to turn back the other way so I don't lose speed and stay on top of the route," Johnson said. "So, I mean, those are all really easy fixes.

"Other than that, for myself, I feel like it was all right. But those three plays, I would say I’ve got to get off."

Johnson missed much of last season with a groin injury requiring in-season surgery. He came back and wasn't the same player. He has said he feels 100% now, even if he looked a bit slow or applied poor technique Sunday. Stevenson doesn't really have leeway, with this being his final year on his rookie contract.

The Bears really don't have much of an option so they'll stick with both. They're certainly not going to bench Johnson, their second-highest-paid player this year.

Bears' only option is bounce back

Perhaps in Stevenson's case, competition from rookie Malik Muhammad would eventually threaten his job. However, Muhammad is needed playing the slot due to Kyler Gordon's injury. Newly acquired Clark Phillips III isn't yet ready to make an impact in a new defensive scheme after coming over in a trade just before Week 1.

Both players had a tackling issue in the game, too. Stevenson bounced off Jalen Coker on an 8-yard pass for a TD and Johnson stumbled near the goal line and made it easier for Bryce Young to scramble in for a TD. The tackling wasn't specifically an issue for those two but for the whole defense, and for the whole league. It always is early, and Allen was quick to point this out.

"I think part of that is a product of not very much tackling going on in the preseason," Allen said. "And so, you look at like you do everything else why does a missed tackle occur. And more often, it is a fundamental technique flaw. Guys not taking proper angles, guys not doing a good job of coming to balance, guys lunging and leaving their feet instead of running through the tackle.

"I mean, I think those are things that you see early on in the season. I was a little surprised at some of the tackling in that I thought we were a pretty good tackling team throughout the course of the preseason. It didn’t show up as well as I would’ve liked to against Carolina. So, that’s again another one of those things that we’re looking to improve."

It's a good list to tackle for a key game against a division rival.

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.

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