The Chicago Bears player who made biggest strides during win streak

Among Bears defenders, only Montez Sweat has a higher Pro Football Focus grade. Stevenson sought to explain what has happened to him since Week 2.

"The first two games, just coming in and getting the rust off and everything like that with my new situation outside this building," he said.

He had his first child, for one, and it helped make him more responsible.

"And then me being able to look myself in the mirror after the game with Detroit and tell myself this is not who I am and this is not who I want to be, prove to the world who I am this year," Stevenson said.

For the second game against Detroit, Stevenson had a 158.3 passer rating against when targeted. It doesn't get worse than this number. It's the highest possible passer rating.

Now, Stevenson has been so good in three games he has ascended to 16th in Pro Football Focus cornerback grades out of 171 NFL cornerbacks.

He is the No. 1 PFF cornerback against the run because of his physicality, something Bears coaches have seen in him whether it was Matt Eberflus or Ben Johnson/ Dennis Allen.

Even after allowing one big gainer in the win over Washington, PFF has his passer rating against at an excellent 78.0. It's tracked by Pro Football Reference/Stathead at 61.2.

On thing is certain: With Jaylon Johnson out, teams no longer look at Stevenson as the cornerback to target he has been targeted 21 times. Last year it was 85 targets and in 2023 it was 116 times.

"It feels good to just know I'm out there doing my job," Stevenson said.

However, he's not exactly thrilled over passes going elsewhere. 

"I definitely want the ball to come my way," Stevenson said. "They pay for interceptions. So any way they can throw it and get it to me I want to be able to put myself in position to make the plays. But at the end of the day if I'm not getting targeted that's a good thing as well."

Stevenson's will to improve isn't the only reason for better play. He credits working with DB coach Al Harris, but also defensive coordinator Dennis Allen.

"He (Allen) definitely is bringing grit and I appreciate it just having a coach who trusts me to be the guy to go out on the field who can make simple calls and let us go play. Since he's been here he's let it known you've got to buy in."

Stevenson has bought in because he likes that "gritty" Allen style.

"He likes to get physical and dirty," Stevenson said of his defensive coordinator's style.

Whatever gets you there, on and off the field, and whatever Stevenson uses to do it is fine after the struggles he had to start the season.

“There's always still work to be done there, but I think Al Harris has done a nice job showing him what it means to be a pro in this league, and he's taken that to heart," coach Ben Johnson said. "The practice habits continue to improve, and I really believe that he's starting to turn the corner for us.”