Bears' young secondary outmatched by Lions, but shows potential

Through five weeks, the Chicago Bears had the third-best pass defense in the NFL, allowing just 185.8 yards per game.

Pretty impressive, given that both safeties are rookies, one of them undrafted; and cornerback Kyle Fuller is a second-year player.

But that young group met its match in Week 6's 37-34 overtime loss to the Lions. Quarterback Matthew Stafford threw for 405 yards, 4 touchdowns and a 117.7 passer rating, by far his best game of the season. Pro Bowl wide receiver Calvin "Megatron" Johnson torched them for 166 yards on 6 catches, a 27.7-yard average.

"That's a heck of an offense," Bears defensive backs coach Ed Donatell said. "They hadn't been on their mark, (but) they hit their mark against us. That happens. We just didn't have our best day."

There will be more growing pains for a group that includes fifth-round draft pick Adrian Amos at one safety spot and undrafted rookie Harold Jones-Quartey, who has stepped in at the other safety spot the past two weeks after Antrel Rolle's ankle injury.

Rolle's absence left signal-calling duties to Amos, who handled it with the maturity that is a big part of his skill set. Donatell said he doesn't make the mistakes common to rookies.

"He's more the rare (example) of a guy to come in and play consistently and tough," Donatell said, "and he made a couple of real nice hits last week."

The only veteran presence the past two weeks has been 29-year-old cornerback Tracy Porter, who stepped in when 30-year-old Alan Ball was injured and has played well enough to keep the job.

"He's going to get a pick or two," Donatell said. They're coming."

Even though the secondary struggled last week, the experience of facing an explosive offense should help them after this week's open date. Three of the next five opponents have quarterbacks and passing games that can challenge the best secondaries: Philip Rivers and the San Diego Chargers (Nov. 9), Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos (Nov. 22) and Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field on Thanksgiving (Nov. 26).

"That guy (Johnson) was a little bit of a sleeping giant the first couple of weeks, and he woke up against us. We don't like that, but that is reality. We'll learn from it and play him better next time."

It was Johnson's 57-yard reception that set up the Lions' winning field goal in OT. Stafford launched a deep jump ball on which the 5-foot-11 Jones-Quartey was simply outmatched by the 6-foot-5 Johnson.

"I saw a big guy go up and get the ball," Bears coach John Fox said. "He's done it for a little bit. I think he broke some guy named (Hall of Famer) Jerry Rice's record - and he wasn't bad."

Johnson's 1,964 yards in 2012 shattered Rice's previous record of 1,848 set in 1995.

Porter, who's also 5-foot-11, had a similar problem on Johnson's 6-yard TD catch with 21 seconds left in regulation. Porter had good position, but Johnson elevated to snare Stafford's pass inches above the cornerback's reach.

Johnson also victimized Fuller for a 43-yard reception that set up an 8-yard TD pass to backup tight end Tim Wright, who gave Fuller the slip in the back of the endzone, while Stafford scrambled to buy time.

Fuller's play has been inconsistent since his 2-interception debut in Week 2 last season, and there are critics who believe he was a better fit in the old system, where he played more zone, than in the current scheme where man-to-man is more prevalent.

"We do both," Donatell said. "Good football players fit our system, and he's a good football player."

Even good football players need time to develop, and defensive coordinator Vic Fangio and Donatell have a long history of developing players and putting them in position to succeed.

In San Francisco last year, Fangio's defense and Donatell's secondary combined to lead the NFL with 23 interceptions.

No one feels good about the Bears' secondary's failure to get an interception through six games, but Donatell looks on the lighter side.

"That's awesome," he said, "because we can only get better."

Donatell remains optimistic.

"I know the guys are working together, and the chemistry is good," he said. "They're good on their assignments, so (interceptions) are coming, there's no question about it. It's a matter of when."

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