The Chicago Bears had no choice but to turn to their mid-round rookie for the season opener. With Kyler Gordon and Xavier Woods out, defensive coordinator Dennis Allen started Malik Muhammad in the win over the Carolina Panthers.
While the defense left plenty to be desired in this one, Muhammad and Dillon Thieneman were two bright spots. In fact, the rookie out of Texas was so bright that Kyler Gordon and Tyrique Stevenson should be scared.
Muhammad can play inside or outside, and with Stevenson getting burned over and over and Gordon's availability concerns, the Bears may have found their new starter, and someone will have to be the odd man out once (if) Gordon gets back to full strength.
Malik Muhammad looks like one of the steals of the draft
It didn't take long before Muhammad proved that the offseason buzz wasn't empty noise. He had two pass breakups and one interception in the first half alone, and while it wasn't a perfect debut, the overall balance was positive.
According to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), Muhammad gave up five catches on nine targets for 67 yards, an average of 13.4 yards per catch. On the downside, 48 of those yards came after the catch, and he has to work on his pursuit angles to avoid missing tackles.
Now, back to the veterans. Tyrique Stevenson was the secondary's biggest liability in Week 1, and that's not the first time we've uttered those words. Stevenson vowed to be better this season, but the first challenge of the campaign showed that he's still the same beatable defensive back who's often on the wrong end of a big play.
Muhammad is sticky in coverage and has already shown strong instincts at the catch point. He made plays left and right in training camp and the preseason, and even though it's early, he clearly outplayed his veteran counterpart in the opener.
As for Gordon, things are a bit more complicated. The Bears gave him a three-year, $40 million contract, and he was actually pretty good before all of the injury concerns. Considering that, they'll likely give him as many opportunities to start as possible.
That said, he's away from the team while he rehabs, and the whole situation is just a bit strange. The team sounded extremely frustrated with him, so even if they kept him on the 53-man roster for financial purposes, they might not feel as confident about him as they once did.
Muhammad played 36 snaps in the slot and just eight outside, but he actually played primarily on the boundary with the Longhorns, so he can easily slide right back there if Gordon is back to full strength and Stevenson continues to be a liability.
Whatever the case, Dennis Allen will have to figure out a way to keep him on the field, even if that comes at a veteran's expense.
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