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Bears Need More From Their Cornerbacks in Week 6
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- Bears Need More From Their Cornerbacks in Week 6
The Chicago Bears have shown flashes of defensive dominance this season, but their secondary remains a concern heading into Week 6 . Chicago's cornerbacks have struggled to limit explosive plays, and those lapses were costly in the Week 5 loss to the Green Bay Packers . With the Bears looking to bounce back against the Atlanta Falcons , their top cornerbacks must step up and deliver more consistent performances.
Tyrique Stevenson and Jaylon Johnson have the talent to anchor Chicago's secondary, but their production has not consistently matched expectations. The Bears' heavy reliance on man coverage also puts added pressure on their cornerbacks to win individual matchups. If Chicago wants to reach its defensive potential, it must find a way to limit big plays, whether through improved cornerback play, personnel adjustments, or a more balanced coverage approach. Their head coach, Ben Johnson, admits the coaching staff shoulders much of the blame.
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"When we win, we win as a team. When we lose, we lose as a team. I'll be the first one to shoulder the blame for anything that went on offensively, and then defensively, [Dennis Allen] is the same way. He'll be the first one to tell you when there's a bad call. But [there were] also a combination of bad rushes mixed in there and bad coverage mixed in there, so really all three things showed up over the course of the game," Johnson said in his Week 5 postgame press conference.
Bears Cornerbacks Are Underperforming
Oct 11, 2026; Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA; Green Bay Packers wide receiver Matthew Golden (0) catches a pass against Chicago Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson (1) during their football game at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Wm. Glasheen USAToday Network via IMAGN images
The Bears currently rank 13th in defensive dropback expected points added (EPA), allowing a respectable 0.024 EPA per dropback . However, that number spiked to 0.429 heading into Monday Night Football in Week 5, ranking 26th in the NFL for the week. That level of performance is not a recipe for success, and it was on full display at Lambeau Field, where Jordan Love threw for more than 350 yards against Chicago's secondary. Too often, explosive plays have exposed the Bears' cornerbacks.
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Even in their dominant Week 4 win over the New York Jets , Chicago surrendered a deep touchdown pass. Although the game was already out of reach, the play blemished an otherwise impressive defensive performance. The Bears' top cornerbacks, Stevenson and Johnson, have combined to allow 28 receptions on 40 targets for 494 yards and three touchdowns.
If the Bears want to consistently reach their defensive ceiling, their cornerbacks must perform better and limit the explosive plays that allow opposing offenses to stay competitive.
Bears Run Second-Highest Man-Coverage Rate in NFL
Sep 20, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Minnesota Vikings running back Aaron Jones Sr. (33) runs the ball against Chicago Bears cornerback Tyrique Stevenson (29) during the first half at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images
Only one NFL team runs man coverage more frequently than the Bears. Chicago has leaned heavily on man-to-man coverage, particularly Cover 1, throughout the season. The Bears run man coverage on 36.5% of their defensive snaps and use a single-high safety alignment on 62.9% of their coverage snaps . If their struggles continue, Dennis Allen may need to consider a different approach.
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Allen has long favored an aggressive defensive style that asks cornerbacks to handle a variety of responsibilities in both man and zone coverage. Chicago's personnel appears suited to that versatility, but the explosive plays are becoming too frequent to ignore.
Whether Allen adjusts his personnel or adopts a more conservative coverage approach, something must change. The Bears cannot afford to keep surrendering big plays, especially if their cornerbacks continue to struggle in one-on-one matchups. With Week 6 approaching, Chicago needs its top defensive backs to step up and prove they can handle the demands of Allen's scheme.
This story was originally published by Athlon on Oct 14, 2026, where it first appeared in the NFL section. Add Athlon as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
