Going into the Chicago Bears’ season opener against the Carolina Panthers, there were more concerns about their safeties than their cornerbacks with veterans Jaylon Johnson and Tyrique Stevenson starting the game. However, both players struggled throughout Week 1.
Head coach Ben Johnson demands perfection on both sides of the ball. The offense got pretty close to it in the opener although there were actually four drives they did not score on. The defense came nowhere close to perfect, allowing Carolina to score on four of their first six drives and have a total of 37 points. That is the most points the Panthers have ever scored against the Bears.
When asked about Johnson’s and Stevenson’s issues in coverage after the game, he said they were excited
the Bears got the win but will play better next week against the Minnesota Vikings.
“They were excited that the team won the game and both of them felt like they did,” Johnson said. “We got a chance next week to come back and start all over again and play better. I expect that out of them.”
Minnesota most likely will be without quarterback Kyler Murray, who sustained a concussion early in their opener against the Green Bay Packers. Carson Wentz finished the game, throwing three touchdowns, including two to star wide receiver Justin Jefferson. In his 10 previous games against the Bears, Jefferson averaged 79 yards per game and had four touchdowns against the Bears. He will easily be Chicago's biggest challenge in this game.
This game will serve as the Bears’ first divisional game of the season. Chicago has not won their first NFC North game in a season since the 2021 season when they defeated the Detroit Lions, who finished that year with only three wins. If Jaylon Johnson’s and Tyrique Stevenson’s coverage issues persist in that game, that streak may continue.
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This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Ben Johnson expects better from Jaylon Johnson, Tyrique Stevenson
