It is hard to identify a team in the NFL’s whose defensive rookies have performed better than the Chicago Bears, where first-round safety Dillon Thieneman and fourth-round cornerback Malik Muhammad have been arguably the team's best defensive backs through two games.
Thieneman leads the Bears in tackles with 17 while Muhammad is the only rookie cornerback in the NFL with both a sack and an interception through Week 2.
Thieneman is the only player on Chicago’s roster with double-digit solo tackles through the first two games. In the Bears’ first game against the Carolina Panthers, he was targeted five times and only allowed two completions for 22 yards. Bryce Young had a 53.7 quarterback rating when throwing to him. He continued his defensive domination
against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 2, allowing just one catch for 24 yards and a quarterback rating of 63.2. Thieneman also has not missed a tackle in the first two games of his NFL career.
Muhammad has had similar success. The Panthers picked up him in the season opener, targeting him nine times but only having four completions for 67 yards and an interception. Young had a quarterback rating of 30.6 when throwing in his direction. Minnesota did not throw toward Muhammad nearly as often, only targeting him three times. He allowed just one completion for nine yards and Carson Wentz had a 42.4 rating when targeting him. Muhammad's sack against Wentz forced the Vikings to punt with less than two minutes left in the third quarter. Neither rookie has given up a touchdown so far this season.
Especially with Chicago injuries in the secondary, it is incredibly promising to see two of their promising rookies step up and perform at a high level. Their rookie on the defensive line, training camp standout Jordan van den Berg, has gotten minimal reps so far in the regular season although he also has a solo tackle against the Vikings.
While the first two games of the season have not gone the way the Bears had hoped, the future is bright with their young defenders, especially Thieneman and Muhammad.
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This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Bears defensive rookies shined in first two weeks of NFL season
