Bears cornerback Tyrique Stevenson hasn’t been good enough.
“What I put on tape was definitely not who I am, or my standards, or this team’s standards,” he said Wednesday.
Alarmingly so — he’s allowed a perfect 158.3 passer rating when targeted through two games this season. Seven of the eight passes thrown his way have been completed for 124 yards and a touchdown.
The pressure on Stevenson will only increase during Jaylon Johnson’s extended absence. The Bears still haven’t put him on injured reserve, but that seems like a matter of time —Johnson hurt his groin Sunday and said the next day he was bracing for his season to be over.
Stevenson will be among the defensive backs tasked with slowing receiver CeeDee Lamb, who is third in the NFL with 222 receiving yards. If there’s one thing head coach Ben Johnson’s not worried about, though, it’s Stevenson’s mindset.
“He’s not a guy that lacks for confidence,” he said. “I know he’s gonna come up, he’s gonna press, he’s gonna challenge. He’s gonna get right back on that horse and get after it again. That’s how he is. It’s in his DNA. He was like that. He’s a South Florida guy. That’s my experience with most of those guys, is that. He really exemplifies that.”
Someone needs to step up. Not only is Johnson out for the immediate future, but slot cornerback Kyler Gordon remains out with a hamstring injury. He didn’t practice Wednesday.
Johnson’s absence affects the defensive back room on and off the field.
“Just having a leader out who gives some pointers, who did this before at a high level,” he said. “Not having him out there is just going to give us a reason to go harder.”
Walking wounded
Gordon and Johnson were two of four defensive starters to miss practice Wednesday, joining tight end T.J. Edwards and defensive tackle Grady Jarrett. The Bears consider Edwards, who hurt the same hamstring Sunday that kept him out Week 1, to be week-to-week. Garrett said Monday that “when game day comes, I’ll be ready to roll.”
After Ben Johnson said the Bears need to improve their effort both in practice and during games, the team had a spirited practice Wednesday.
“Out there for a long time,” Stevenson said, “but definitely enjoyed it.”
The Cowboys’ injury report was almost as bleak as that of the Bears, with cornerbacks DaRon Bland (foot) and Trevon Diggs (illness) both missing practice. Both rank in the top eight of cornerback salaries, with Diggs under a $97 million contract and Bland on a $90 million deal.
Ben on ‘Tush Push’
The Eagles closing out the Chiefs with the “Tush Push” on Sunday reopened the debate around the legitimacy of their trademark quarterback sneak.
“I think other teams have tried to replicate that, and they don’t have the same personnel, and probably not the same coaching points as that,” Johnson said. “And I think probably most teams look at the stats and they see the fact that our regular, traditional quarterback sneak converts at the same rate as the ‘Tush Push’ does. So why don’t we just do that instead?”
Notes
• For the second week in a row, the quarterback that torched the Bears won the NFC Offensive Player of the Week award. Wednesday, it was Lions quarterback Jared Goff, who threw for five touchdowns, 334 yards and a 156 passer rating. Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy won in Week 1.
• Running back D’Andre Swift was limited in practice with a quad injury, as was tackle Kiran Amegadjie (elbow), linebacker D’Marco Jackson (hamstring) and receiver Jahdae Walker (ankle). Cornerback Jaylon Jones (hamstring) sat out.