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.
need to get sanborn on the field.This guys a machine and just needs the oppurtunity to prove it.One thing I hate about my bears is guys show up in preseason make all kinds of plays and then die on the bench without ever seeing the field! ROTATE these guys get some development going!
Smith had a very good game today. Still concerned by some of the missed tackles but definitely stepped up. Hope Montgomery injury is not severe
And like i said earlier I’m sure his play will pick up and it did today… now you have a article saying if he continues to play like this today for the rest of the season they will gladly hand him the contract he wants.. media and fans quickly turn against a player because they hold out i dont understand why if that said player has been good/great their whole career and when it’s time to get extended they use what is allowed a hold out to get it… one side of the coin some players just play out the… Read more »
“Hasn’t quite grasped the position”, all the more reason to sit Roquan and let Sanborn have a shot.
Who has been a better bears player? Montgomery or Smith? Who has handled themselves best off and on the field? Does anyone stay or both go? They both play positions that are not as important as they once were in the NFL. At this point, Montgomery is in the lead to stay if anyone does.