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Ben Johnson Called Out Bears Cornerbacks but Needs Them More Than Ever

The Chicago Bears coach called out his two veteran cornerbacks after their performance against Carolina, and they'll need to be better to stop Justin Jefferson.
Gene Chamberlain|
Carolina's Jalen Coker catches a TD pass against cornerback Tyrique Stevenson Sunday against Tyrique Stevenson.
Carolina's Jalen Coker catches a TD pass against cornerback Tyrique Stevenson Sunday against Tyrique Stevenson. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

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Chicago Bears

Facing the Minnesota Vikings in Week 2 is shaping up for the Bears as a dream matchup based on football analytics.

The Bears emerged from the 59-37 win over Carolina atop the NFL in running game EPA, while on the other side Minnesota came away the top defensive team for EPA. If the Bears are going to beat the Vikings, they'll need to have every aspect of their offense operating at peak levels because they've had past problems defensively matching up with specific Vikings players, particularly wide receiver Justin Jefferson. After the big plays cornerbacks Jaylon Johnson and Tyrique Stevenson allowed against Carolina, it looks like an even tougher task.

Stevenson got burned for a 51-yard touchdown pass by Jalen Coker on a simple go route, after he lined up more than 10 yards off the line of scrimmage on the play. Johnson got beat a few times, as well. Tet McMillan made five receptions for 75 yards in eight targets but did get the ball stripped by Johnson once for a fumble, as those two matched up often.

Knowing the big challenge ahead, Ben Johnson almost seemed to call out his cornerbacks, and definitely issued a challenge.

Calling out his veteran cornerbacks

"They were excited that the team won the game, but I think both of them felt like they could play better than they did," Ben Johnson said of his two veteran cornerbacks. "And the tape appeared that way to me.

"I thought they both had strong training camps and so we really wanted to hit the ground running, and I don't think we did in terms of what we were expecting in that game."

Johnson anticipates something better. The Bears cornerbacks were the veterans in a secondary that had three new players besides them and this may have been a factor in all of their problems as they allowed 361 yards passing. The 127 receiving yards allowed by Jaylon Johnson in Week was the most in the league.

THE BIGGEST DECISION BEN JOHNSON GOT RIGHT AGAINST PANTHERS AND WHAT IT MEANS

"Good news is this: we've got a chance next week to come back and start all over again," Ben Johnson said about Johnson and Stevenson. "We've had some instances in the past where we don't play as well as we want to one week, and we'll come back the next week and play a whole lot better, and I expect that out of them.

"They're pros. They know what it looks like, and I know they're also really resilient individuals as well. They know they're talented, and this team needs them. They'll bounce back, no problem."

Saying the Bears have had a tendency to match Jaylon Johnson up on Jefferson, All-Pro vs. All-Pro is an oversimplification. In fact, injuries have often prevented such matchups. Johnson was injured in both Vikings games last year so it isn't really apparent how defensive coordinator Dennis Allen would try to defend Jefferson.

In 2023, Jefferson never faced the Bears but that was in a different scheme. All told, Jefferson has made 59 catches for 790 yards and has been limited to four touchdown catches in 10 games against the Bears, but it sure didn't start out that way in the matchup as he dominated for three seasons. Jefferson hasn't had a 100-yard game against the Bears since he had 13 catches for 154 yards in 2022, but the Packers on Sunday had no idea how to stop him when they had to do it.

Green Bay gave up eight catches for 92 yards and two TDs to Jefferson but did an outstanding job limiting the other receivers. Neither Jordan Addison nor Jauan Jennings made a catch.

"That's unlikely to happen again as Carson Wentz will have settled in for an assignment he's prepared to handle as likely starter at QB for injured Kyler Murray.

Trying to double Jefferson has rarely worked well for the Bears, anyway, Addison has 26 catches for 312 and three TDs against the Bears in five games.

Making matters a bit worse for the veteran Bears cornerbacks was Johnson lauded the play of all three other starters in the secondary, rookies Dillon Thieneman and Malik Muhammad, and veteran Cam Lewis.

High praise for other DBs, though

“Dillon had a great start to his career," Johnson said. "I thought he was all over the field. He's one of those guys throughout camp that he would make mistakes but rarely makes the same mistake twice. I think he's done a great job in the open field, making sure he's getting tackles. Ended up being one of our leading tacklers (Sunday).

"I thought he had that forced fumble. It turned out it was Jaylon came in with the top-down punch-out there, and so point in case, though, he was all over the place. Did a great job stopping the football when he had an opportunity to do so."

Lewis had a tough task moving from slot cornerback, where he is more suited to play size-wise, to safety.

"Kudos to Cm Lewis really next to him as well because he went into the day not even knowing he was going to start for us at safety," Johnson said. "We worked out (safety) Xavier Woods (groin injury) that morning, and when we decided to make him inactive, Cam became our starter at safety and played really, really well. So just wanted to throw him a shout-out."

Muhammad had the only interception playing the slot, a spot he never really played much before this year.

"He played really good football for his first day as well," Johnson added. "Sticky in coverage, competed his tail off, fearless. Was really proud of what he put on tape.”

It's on the veteran cornerbacks to step their games up and answer the pressure their coach is applying against one of the game's top receiving trios.

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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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