The Chicago Bears' secondary has mostly been a mess all season. Still, rookie fourth-round pick Malik Muhammad might be their only hope of avoiding embarrassment against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 6.
Chicago struggled mightily in Week 5 against the Green Bay Packers, falling 31-7. The Bears' secondary surrendered 358 passing yards and two touchdowns in the loss.
Corners like Jaylon Johnson, Tyrique Stevenson, and even Muhammad had rough days at the office. With Johnson and Stevenson continuing to trend downward, Muhammad at least shows potential to be a good corner. A solid performance against the Falcons is needed, not only for the Bears' defense, but for his development.
Malik Muhammad is desperately needed for Bears' secondary in Week 6
That Packers game wasn't a good introduction to the rivalry for Muhammad in Week 5. He had his first rookie moment of the season, allowing six completions on six targets for 124 yards.
Despite that bad game, Muhammad has had a strong season. He has racked up 17 tackles, three pass deflections, two quarterback hits, one tackle for loss, one sack, and one interception. Muhammad has allowed a passer rating of 74.3 this season, but it was under 50 until last week.
The Bears have struggled with Johnson and Stevenson, as both have allowed passer ratings over 100 this season. Stevenson is hurt with a hip injury entering the Week 6 Falcons game, but is slowly returning.
If Chicago wants to play smart on defense, it might be time to make Muhammad a full-time starter in the secondary, either in the slot or on the outside. He has started only two games this season, but he has proven more reliable than Johnson and Stevenson.
It's been quite the tumble for Johnson after being a two-time Pro Bowl. That soft-tissue injury he had last year really set him back, to the point that replacing him may be on the table in the future.
Muhammad hasn't been perfect in coverage this season, but he's had far more positive plays than Johnson and Stevenson. The Bears can put Muhammad anywhere, and he can play the position because he is a solid tackler and can be tough in coverage.
With Drake London and Kyle Pitts on the opposite side for Week 6, the Bears need to have their best guys on the field against a passing attack that has shown improvement this season.
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Muhammad needs time to be an elite corner, but under the circumstances, he is the best one the Bears have at the moment. They need to put him either on London or Pitts to slow down the passing game. It would be a good test for him, though, to show that he can handle it.
This is a Bears defense that is one of the worst in the NFL against the pass. It would be a good time for Muhammad to step up and be the shutdown corner Bears fans believe he can be.
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