The Bears’ secondary has been leaking all season, and now Chicago may need Malik Muhammad to help keep things from getting uglier in Week 6 against the Falcons.
That urgency comes straight off a rough afternoon in Week 5. Chicago got smacked by Green Bay, 31-7, and the passing game did most of the damage. The Bears gave up 358 passing yards and two touchdowns, with the secondary taking the hit.
Jaylon Johnson, Tyrique Stevenson, and Muhammad all had their problems in that game, but the rookie fourth-round pick still stands out as the one corner who gives Chicago something to work with. Johnson and Stevenson have both been sliding, while Muhammad has shown enough promise to look like a real building block. Against Atlanta, the Bears need that potential to show up again - for the defense and for his own growth.
Muhammad’s night against the Packers was a rough one. He was targeted six times and gave up six catches for 124 yards, his first true rookie stumble of the season.
Even with that setback, his season has still been encouraging. Muhammad has 17 tackles, three pass deflections, two quarterback hits, one tackle for loss, one sack, and one interception. His passer rating allowed sits at 74.3, though it had stayed under 50 before last week.
Chicago’s problems at corner go beyond one bad outing. Johnson and Stevenson have both allowed passer ratings above 100 this season, and Stevenson enters the Falcons game dealing with a hip injury while working his way back.
That leaves the Bears in a spot where playing the best defenders might be the smartest move, even if it means leaning harder on a rookie. Muhammad has started only two games, but he has looked more dependable than either Johnson or Stevenson. He can line up in the slot or outside, and the Bears have gotten more out of him than they have from the veterans.
Johnson’s fall has been especially sharp for a player who was once a two-time Pro Bowl corner. The soft-tissue injury he dealt with last year appears to have slowed him down, and replacing him down the line is something Chicago may have to consider.
Muhammad hasn’t been flawless in coverage, but he has stacked up more good reps than the other corners around him. He tackles well, holds up in coverage, and gives the Bears flexibility wherever they want to use him.
Now comes a tougher assignment. Drake London and Kyle Pitts await in Week 6, and Chicago will need its best cover man on the field against an Atlanta passing attack that has improved this season.
Muhammad still needs time before anyone can call him an elite corner, but right now he looks like the Bears’ best option. Whether that means lining him up on London or Pitts, Chicago needs him to help slow the Falcons down. For Muhammad, it’s also a chance to show he can handle a bigger spotlight.
And for a Bears defense that has been one of the worst in the league against the pass, it may be the perfect moment for him to take a step toward being the shutdown corner fans think he can become.
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