3 changes Chicago Bears made against Carolina Panthers that might stick around

2. The Chicago Bears allowed Jaylon Johnson to move into the slot

The Chicago Bears wanted to see more from Jaylon Johnson this season before paying him like he is a number one cornerback. One of the big things that the team had to see was his ball production and whether he was able to man up on players and follow them around.

Johnson is good at sticking to his side in the zone, but he is not the player to move around much. However, on Thursday, the Panthers' top pass catcher was Adam Thielen, and he was primarily in the slot. The Panthers had Jonathan Mingo and Terrace Marshall outside, and neither provided a threat.

So, the Bears could let Johnson waste on the outside or move him inside. It only happened on eight snaps, mainly because Kyler Gordon is so good against the run in the slot that the Bears had to save it for obvious pass downs. Also, Thielen did run a few routes on the outside, which Johnson covered. 

Overall, Johnson played eight snaps against Thielen in the slot and allowed no catches on zero targets. It was a strong performance, and it should be indicative of how things go moving forward. 

Since Jaylon Johnson returned in week six, he has been targeted 19 times and allowed just 67 yards. Tyrique Stevenson had been targeted 45 times over that same span and has allowed 262 yards. The Bears cannot just sit there and let teams put their top pass catcher against Stevenson. Johnson has to follow receivers.