Development of Bears Secondary Proceeds at Rapid Rate

The Bears' victory had just ended Sunday thanks largely to how their secondary took the Cardinals off their passing game in the fourth quarter.

"The whole defensive secondary is one of the best in the nation, one of the best I've been a part of and just with us getting better throughout the rest of the year we know that next year we're going to come back and be the No. 1 secondary in nation," Tyrique Stevenson said.

Stevenson's rookie exuberance could be forgiven for talking about the NFL like it was college or "school" ball. But he's not far from the truth on a higher level of play if they're going to continue to play this way.

In the game against Arizona, slot cornerback Kyler Gordon pulled down an 86.7 coverage grade and 90.5 overall from Pro Football Focus. Stevenson came in at 76.4 in coverage and 76.2 overall. Terell Smith was at 79.4 overall, 80.0 in coverage. All of those for the non-PFF crowd are excellent.

Those were career highs for Gordon and Smith and Stevenson has put up better grades only once before.

Smith has played less but it hasn't reduced opinions of him. The more they see, the more they like.

"Terell has looked good all the way back to training camp," Bears coach Matt Eberflus said. "He's mature beyond his years. He takes things in stride. He takes coaching really well.

"So coach (Jon) Hoke's a really good corners coach for a long time, and he's done that for a while. He really soaks everything (from Hoke) in. He's technique-sound, fundamentally sound and he's got really good speed. We like his size, being able to play against bigger receivers. That's kinda a trend in the league, those big-type receivers. He does a good job against those guys."

The Bears' defensive third-down percentage is down to 41.5% when once it was up in the mid 50s. They are giving quarterback fits with the interceptions. Their team passer rating against is down to 89.6, which is 15th in the league, where once it was in the bottom five. In the last three games, it's 77.3, which is sixth in the league.

The only real glitch they've had came in the fourth quarter of the loss to Cleveland.

"It's important to continue to get better, to continue to build the chemistry and continue to be who we really want to be and who we really are and keep moving forward," safety Jaquan Brisker said.

The future is what it's about for a young secondary, with just one older player in Eddie Jackson. Brisker and Gordon are in their second seasons, Smith and Stevenson their first and Jaylon Johnson is up for a contract in his fourth.

The Bears have been alternating Stevenson and Smith to make sure the two rookies gain needed experience.

But experience for what? Are they moving in this direction so they can replace Johnson without giving in to his contract demands?

"I've always said you can never have enough pass rushers, and you can never have enough corners," coach Matt Eberflus said. "So if you want to keep bringing them on, let's keep bringing them, right. Those positions are really important in the NFL.

"Jaylon Johnson has done a wonderful job. He's risen to the occasion. He's really starting to understand the concepts of our defense and the style which we play, and he's been a heck of a leader, too. I can't say enough good things about his development and how he's risen to the occasion this year."

If you're hoping to read into his comments something about their desire to keep Johnson, good luck. It was as non-committal as possible in this regard, other than to pat on the back a player who deserves it.

The Bears are in an enviable position with a position requiring extensive depth in the NFL because of the high rate of attrition normally in the seocndary. They found this out themselves earlier in the season when they burned through cornerbacks and safeties at an alarming rate.

Since all the defensive backs have become healthy and are supported by a pass rush, the future has taken on a totally different look for a defense only beginning to understand the scheme and, in the case of all the young players, the league.