The Chicago Bears’ defense has been solid this season. According to Pro Football Focus, the Bears rank as the 7th-best defensive unit in the league, with an overall grade of 74.6. They are elite in several key areas, ranking 5th in pass coverage, 12th in pass rush, and leading the league in tackling, with an impressively low rate of missed tackles.
However, one potential weak spot lies with second-year cornerback Tyrique Stevenson, a former second-round pick. Stevenson has struggled with discipline and maturity issues but his play as of late has also been a concern. His 56.8 overall PFF grade is the lowest among the Bears’ eight cornerbacks this year, and his 56.3 coverage grade also ranks last. In contrast, fellow 2023 draft classmate Terell Smith has impressed in limited action, earning the highest coverage grade on the team.
Recent snap counts suggest the Bears are gradually increasing Smith’s role. In Weeks 10 and 11, Stevenson logged 64 snaps compared to Smith’s 46, indicating a shift toward integrating Smith more fully into the defense. This approach seems justified, as Smith has consistently outperformed Stevenson while displaying greater maturity and discipline.
A league-wide chart tracking cornerback separation prevention and target rates further highlights this theory: Jaylon Johnson ranks among the best, while Stevenson is at the bottom. If Terell Smith continues to develop and earn more playing time, it could make the Bears’ secondary even more lethal.
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The Bears might finally make a bold move this week by turning to Smith and giving him the majority of the snaps. This shift could bring a significant change and serve as a wake-up call for Stevenson.
Stevenson is not the only problem on defense. The whole line sucks at stopping the run. And if the QB pressure is so great, where are the sacks, and turnovers? And these huge chunk plays at the most crucial times. IDK, maybe it’s just me, but the team, (as a whole) just doesn’t seem to be clicking.
As I said many times over several months, Stevie is a two-edged sword, a Catch-22 player. One thing in his favor though, he was picked by Poles because of his long arms.
I have to admit, I really like T. Smith, I also like Stevenson. With that said, this year Stevenson overall is having a bad year, too much is made over his mistake with the Hail Mary, i think it’s unfair to Stevenson to have fans hold it against him. The fans need to look at the bigger picture, Stevenson’s metrics/stat prove he’s having a bad year, but I do agree T. Smith is the better player at this time. Not to harp to much on the Hail Mary that got fans upset with Stevenson, but if the team had a… Read more »
F-that, Mr. Cassiopeia on the graph there would never have played another down in a Bears uniform if it were my call.
I’m tired of people calling for the Bears to trade guys with discipline problems or guys who are underperforming. What exactly do you think you are going to get for them and from whom? I hope you noticed that nobody was lining up to give compensation for Claypool or Davis. Stevenson has some ability; he just needs a clear message sent. Don’t expect Flus to send it though. He’s too wimpy. Flus needs to start rewarding guys who demonstrate Hustle, Intensity, Takeaways and Smarts and bench those who don’t. Practice what you preach, right?