Malik Muhammad knows Bears defense has plenty to clean up

While all the talk was about the Chicago Bears and their offensive showcase in the Week 1 over the Carolina Panthers, there are plenty of questions remaining about their defense.

Allowing 37 points to the Panthers came with plenty of frustration, as the team was carved up in the secondary by quarterback Bryce Young, wide receiver Jalen Coker, and the entire Carolina offense, which put up 478 yards of total offense.

One thing Chicago’s defense was great in last season was forcing takeaways, which they led the league in last year, and that trend continued in Week 1 as they forced three turnovers by the Panthers. Rookie cornerback Malik Muhammad, who had a big interception right before halftime, knows that the defense has plenty to clean up and told reporters after the win that is the focus moving forward.

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“We definitely have a lot to clean up,” Muhammad said. “I know that wasn’t good enough, especially on the defensive side. I know our coaches feel the same way. We’re going to clean it up and come back better next week. It was a great win, obviously, but we got some stuff to clean up.”

The defense is going to be a big talking point each and every week, especially if they continue to allow big plays and a high amount of points to the opposition. There is some optimism in knowing that the defensive players for Chicago are not settling for just getting the victory, wanting to clean it up on that side of the ball, with a coaching staff that is echoing the same mentality.

This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Malik Muhammad knows Bears defense has plenty to clean up