Rookie Cornerback Ready for Slot If Called Upon

The Bears defense is trying to find rallying points only a week into the season.

They didn't really want one of those to be an injury, but it is. With slot cornerback Kyler Gordon going on injured reserve due to a right hand injury Thursday, he'll miss at least four weeks. So the secondary is vowing to pull together using the old next-man-up philosophy.

However, the next man up was out also on Thursday. Backup slot cornerback Josh Blackwell was out of practice due to a hamstring injury a day after he had only a limited practice, so the Bears are starting to look at their options.

One could be using rookie cornerback Tyrique Stevenson more or less in Gordon's role. Stevenson had started in the base defense on the outside but he has played slot cornerback at Georgia. Is it the best option?

"We're debating that right now, don't have a final answer right now," Stevenson said. "We talked about it in a walk-through and I just take the notes just in case I get put there."

There is still time for Blackwell to return. The Bears brought up Greg Stroman off the practice squad Thursday and he has played there in NFL games before with Washington. However, after the way Stevenson showed up big in Sunday's 38-20 loss to the Packers he might be their best option.

"I feel like there'd be some rust but at the end of the day I haven't got time for rust," he said. "So I feel like I would be able to slide back in and be able to cover."

Stevenson has said in the past that in college he didn't really want to play the inside coverage spot. It's different now but the Bears might not have much choice. If Stevenson moved inside for nickel, the Bears could put rookie Tyrell Smith on the outside, among others.

"Of course, whatever this defense needs from me, whatever this organization needs from me I'm willing to do," he said. "I don't feel like that would be a drop-off at all."

Stevenson generated as much electricity as any play anyone made at Soldier Field Sunday when he read an option pitchout play by quarterback Jordan Love perfectly and then when the toss came he put a vicious textbook tackle low and hard on Jayden Reed to ring up a tackle for loss.

"I didn't expect him to flick the ball out, I just expected him to take the sack with Tremaine (Edmunds)," Stevenson said. "But once he pitched it out it was like (it) all goes."

Stevenson had a few more plays but like any rookie he had downs, as well. They couldn't erase the memory of lighting up the stadium.

"That was one of the best moments of that day," he said. "Once I made that hit I got up, I received all the energy from the stadium, from my teammates."

The defense has the Gordon injury and the memory of giving up 31 points to a quarterback in his second start to overcome. On Thursday, they also had to work without defensive coordinator Alan Williams as he was away from Halas Hall for personal reasons.

They gave up 9 of 16 third downs in the game, and four were third-and-8 or longer, so whoever is on the field will have plenty to improve upon. That was against a Packers offense using inexperienced receivers and Love at QB. Against Tampa Bay, they'll face the veteran dominant receiver combo of Mike Evans and Chris Godwin.

"It's just more attention to detail with the third downs," safety Eddie Jackson said.

Bouncing back on the road and in Tampa with temperatues in the 90s won't be an easy matter. The Buccaneers opened with a road win over defending NFC North champion Minnesota, 20-17.

"We know week 1, that wasn't us at all," Jackson said. "And I feel like we will never have a game like that again this season, especially on defense."

If he's right, it might need to be subs stepping up and proving it.

Twitter: BearDigest@BearsOnMaven