The loss in Green Bay may have been tough to watch, but the Chicago Bears still offered a potential preview of what they can be in 2018 and beyond. Their defense was unstoppable in the first half and the offense looked much more diverse than the year before. This is with many of their key components not yet entirely in sync with what’s going on, system-wise.
Khalil Mack arrived one week before the start of the regular season. He missed all of training camp so he wasn’t in football shape and also had almost no knowledge of Vic Fangio’s defense. Yet he delivered a sack, a forced fumble, and a pick-six interception in his first 30 minutes as a Bear. Scary to think what’ll happen when both those issues are resolved.
Mitch Trubisky also started the game strong but it became apparent as things went on that he still was learning the brand new Matt Nagy offense. He’ll need time to get comfortable mastering it. So one would think that in time one of these two men would be the Bears breakout candidate of 2018, right? Not according to a former player and respected analyst.
Roquan Smith needed 8 snaps to cement his breakout status
Matt Bowen knows football. He played it for a long time and has since developed a reputation as one of the top tape analysts in the business for ESPN. He’s a big believer in the new Bears front seven on defense, perhaps most of all in their young 1st round pick, linebacker Roquan Smith. Bowen tagged him above all others as the breakout candidate of 2018.
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“(Roquan) Smith saw limited reps in Week 1 after a prolonged contract holdout and then a hamstring injury in August, but he picked up a sack on his first NFL snap. It’s the sideline-to-sideline speed we’re looking at here. He can move, and he has natural instincts to find the ball. Smith has an extremely high ceiling given his modern skill set. Fangio’s scheme leans heavily on linebackers, especially in nickel situations. Look for Smith to make an early impact.”
Keep in mind Smith missed all of training camp, all of the preseason and several other practices due to that hamstring issue. For him to get a sack on his first play as a professional, even if it was served up on a silver platter by Mack, showcases just how gifted he is. Despite every disadvantage in the book he still made a big play.
This signals that the Bears have themselves a potential star. Just imagine how good Smith can be when he has mastery of the defense and won’t have to think so much on the field. Then that athleticism, that speed, and that instinct will be even more dangerous than it was during the eight snaps he had in Green Bay.
