The Chicago Bears defense has established itself as one of the NFL's best over the past calendar year. One key part of their early success in 2024 has been good health. All 11 starters have managed to stay on the field. Well, their first real gutcheck has arrived. It was already known that safety Jaquan Brisker was out for the London game against the Jacksonville Jaguars with a concussion. Now it appears the secondary will also be down cornerback Tyrique Stevenson. He popped up on the injury report on Thursday with a calf problem and missed Friday's practice.
Sure enough, head coach Matt Eberflus confirmed Stevenson is doubtful for Sunday's game. This is unfortunate timing, as the Bears are set to face a talented Jaguars passing attack led by Trevor Lawrence, Christian Kirk, and Brian Thomas Jr. Former undrafted free agent Jaylon Jones will step in as the starter. He has performed well in relief before and knows the Bears' system.
The Chicago Bears defense is about to show its mettle.
Everybody knows what it can do at full strength. However, truly good defenses stay effective even if they're missing one or two pieces. This game must come down to the front seven. If they allow Lawrence time in the pocket, he should have no issues exploiting this weakened secondary. Montez Sweat, Gervon Dexter, Andrew Billings, DeMarcus Walker, and Darrell Taylor have been getting heat on quarterbacks all season. Lawrence has looked pretty bad whenever he's under a lot of pressure.
The Chicago Bears defense also still has Jaylon Johnson, Kevin Byard, and Kyler Gordon. It isn't completely toothless. Last but not least, Eberflus has familiarity with Lawrence. The head coach faced him twice as Colts defensive coordinator in 2021. That experience could prove crucial to reaching the bye at 4-2.
Comments
Join the discussion below. Keep it civil and focused on the content.
Loading comments...