A lot has been said of the Chicago Bears' cornerback depth, and rightfully so. They have serious problems in the slot with the whole Kyler Gordon situation, and Tyrique Stevenson has never been much of a shutdown guy.
Their CB1, however, might already be in game shape. The Bears and Cincinnati Bengals met for joint practices ahead of their Week 2 preseason matchup, and keeping their explosive passing game in check was a tall order.
Apparently, Jaylon Johnson manhandled Ja'Marr Chase for most of the session. In fact, Chase left the field 'fuming,' according to Chicago Sun-Times Bears reporter Patrick Finley. Following practice, he had no choice but to tip his hat to the Bears' cornerback.
'Aggressive' Jaylon Johnson earns Ja'Marr Chase's respect
‘‘Real good corner,’’ Chase said. ‘‘Pretty aggressive on a couple of plays. ‘‘I get jumped every day. I get jumped for a living. I’ve gotten many yards [after] getting jumped at the line. That’s not aggressive.’’
That should mean a lot coming from a guy like Ja'Marr Chase. Not only does he rarely praise his opposition, but he's a fierce competitor who doesn't take losing kindly. Having him admit that Johnson got the best of him means something.
More than that, Chase is extremely tough and physical. He can create separation with his strong frame, so knowing that Johnson was up to the task and mirrored him perfectly is an encouraging sign amid all the uncertainty.
Dennis Allen's secondary underwent multiple changes this offseason. Johnson was a bit of a mixed bag last season, giving up 17.2 yards per catch and an opposing passer rating of 86.1, but injuries limited him to just 161 coverage snaps.
The Bears relied way too much on creating giveaways and flipping the field, but not so much on getting stops. They were often burned by big gains, and Caleb Williams and the offense had to bail them out more times than they would've wanted.
Iron sharpens iron, and while there are plenty of reasons to have reservations about joint practices, this may have worked wonders for a secondary that desperately needs some momentum. Johnson is clearly back to full strength, and this could be an omen of a huge year.
The Bengals are a fellow Super Bowl contender, and they have the weapons to outscore most teams in the league. They might be one of just a handful of teams that can hold their ground against Ben Johnson's passing game.
There's still plenty of work to do, and the Bears should still look for more help at cornerback. But knowing that they can make Chase have such a bad day is definitely refreshing.
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