By Max Harper
Tyrique Stevenson chased Dallas Cowboys running back Javonte Williams down the left sideline last Sunday at Soldier Field.
“I just realized he didn’t want it,” Stevenson said.
Stevenson, coming up from behind Williams, threw a left hook at the football. In one fell swoop, Stevenson punched the ball out of Williams’ arms, yanked it from his grasp with two hands and landed both feet on the ground before his momentum carried him out of bounds.
It happened too fast to comprehend at live speed. A replay review confirmed Stevenson recovered the fumble inbounds. The “Peanut Punch” is practiced across the NFL by defenders nowadays, but rarely is one executed with such swift perfection.
It was the perfect start in Week 3 for a Chicago Bears defense that was reeling after giving up 52 points to the Detroit Lions seven days earlier. Stevenson’s punch was the first of four takeaways for the Bears defense in Sunday’s win.
For Stevenson, it was his first turnover of the season and it set the tone for a big bounce-back game from the defense. Stevenson also had two passes defended and three tackles. According to NFL Pro, Stevenson was the nearest defender on 10 passes last week, and only three of them were completed. Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott had a 42.1 passer rating when Stevenson was the nearest defender.
The Bears were playing their first game after placing Pro Bowl cornerback Jaylon Johnson on injured reserve with a groin injury. Johnson is expected to be out for an extended period, although it remains possible he could return at some point this season.
Johnson’s absence is going to test the Bears secondary in the coming weeks, and it’s going to test the resolve of the team’s top remaining cornerback. With Johnson out, the 25-year-old Stevenson becomes the No. 1 corner on the depth chart.
