The Chicago Bears need this win against the Houston Texans if they want to stay relevant in the early NFC picture. For that, they need a good outing from their defense. That is hard to do when their best players can’t go. Many were concerned this would be the case as linebacker Roquan Smith missed every practice during the week with a hip injury. Considering how thin the Bears already are at linebacker and how bad their run defense has been, it isn’t a loss they could afford.
Thankfully Ian Rapoport arrived with some good news. Though Smith was declared questionable on Friday, he reported that the linebacker is expected to play. That means the Bears likely gave him the week off to give his body every opportunity to heal up. One has to wonder if Smith would be pushing through an injury like this if his contract weren’t at stake. Either way, the Bears will benefit from his presence.
#Bears All-Pro LB Roquan Smith, who missed practice time this week with a hip injury and is listed as questionable, is expected to play today, source said.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 25, 2022
Chicago Bears need Smith for this game.
There is no question Houston is going to run the football. They’ve done a poor job of committing to it through the first two games, hurting their offense. Lovie Smith has always been a guy that likes to control the clock and ease pressure on the defense. So it wouldn’t surprise anybody if the Texans fed rookie Dameon Pierce early. The Bears need to control that, and they likely can’t do it without Smith on the field.
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The reality is the Chicago Bears defense is flawed with or without Roquan Smith. Switching schemes always leads to talent deficiencies. It would take GM Ryan Poles and head coach Matt Eberflus more than one off-season to build the unit they want. Defensive tackle and linebacker will be two major focal points. Hopes remain high that Smith can be a central part of their plans. He’ll have to learn how to play in this scheme, though. It appears he hasn’t quite grasped it yet.
