Bears' Bryce Callahan experiences highs, lows of being an NFL cornerback
It can be more than a little bit intimidating when young NFL cornerbacks find themselves lined up across from wide receivers such as Antonio Brown, Julio Jones, Odell Beckham Jr. or Demaryius Thomas.
Those are four of the best in the business and under no circumstances can there be any sort of slipup or 6 points are going on the board.
It's a lesson that Bears cornerback Bryce Callahan learned firsthand during the Bears' 22-0 loss to the Denver Broncos in Thursday's preseason opener at Soldier Field as Thomas burned him for a 32-yard TD reception on Denver's first drive.
Callahan, an undrafted second-year pro out of Rice, made the mistake of thinking he knew what play was coming as Denver faced a third-and-9.
"Just trying to do too much," Callahan said. "I'm in man (coverage) and I turned around and looked at (Jordan Norwood) and lost track of the ball. Thought the ball was coming to him and it wasn't. … You've just got to keep your eyes where they're supposed to be."
Callahan managed to redeem himself on Denver's next possession by deflecting a ball that was intercepted by linebacker Jerrell Freeman. The Broncos had faked a run to the left side, and with quarterback Mark Sanchez rolling right, Callahan read the play perfectly and forced a turnover for a defense that had just 8 interceptions last season.
"I'm not going to say it made up for (Thomas' TD) at all," Callahan said.
It took just two possessions for Callahan to experience the highs and lows of playing cornerback in the NFL.
Cheat and you may cost your team 6 points. Play within the framework of the defense and you might force a turnover.
Callahan is a second-year pro who went from signing as an undrafted free agent to being on the Bears' practice squad to the being on the team's active roster to starting against the Minnesota Vikings - all in the span of 6 months last year.
He still has plenty to learn but has impressed Bears coaches enough that he has the inside track to being the team's nickel corner this season. He started Thursday as veteran Tracy Porter sat out at the coach's request.
Porter, a nine-year pro, has been instrumental in helping Callahan make huge strides in his brief NFL career.
"I definitely took him under my wing and I want to give him as much knowledge as I know about the game, just like all the younger guys," Porter said. "But Bryce is a guy who has all the talent in the world. He really came on last year as a rookie. … He can only continue to get better."
On the touchdown pass to Thomas, the Bears were sending an all-out blitz and linebacker Danny Trevathan, a former Bronco, flattened Sanchez with a crushing hit that came a split second too late.
"It wasn't like the guy beat him on a route or outmaneuvered him or was more athletic than him," Porter said. "He immediately came to the sideline and told me, 'My eyes were caught in the backfield.' Before I could even tell him what he did wrong, he came and told me."
Broncos quarterbacks completed 23 of 32 passes for 261 yards and repeatedly tested rookie corner Deiondre Hall. Hall, a fourth-round pick out of Northern Iowa, was thrown at seven times in the second quarter with 3 passes completed for 35 yards (the biggest a 21-yarder on a crossing route by Cody Latimer).
Hall also impressively stripped Bennie Fowler after Fowler nearly caught the ball in the end zone, then stayed with Jordan Taylor on the next play to force a field goal.
"Feels good," Hall said. "It allows me to know that I can play with anybody. Overall, I think the defense and the secondary did OK."