The Chicago Bears don’t need to apologize for finding a way to win. There is no question their passing game is a mess. Justin Fields looks lost. Yet that doesn’t change the fact this team found a way to reach 2-1 regardless. Several players contributed to the tough win over the Houston Texans, but they all took a back seat to Roquan Smith. A week after one of the worst performances of his career, the young linebacker delivered arguably his best.
It was a splendid four quarters of football from #58. He finished with 16 tackles (a career-high), two tackles for a loss, and an absolutely clutch interception with under two minutes to play that set up the Bears’ game-winning field goal. One of those tackles for a loss also held Houston to a field goal despite being inside the 5-yard line. Facts are fact. The Bears don’t win that game without Smith doing what he did.
Roquan Smith seems to have figured out his new position.
Going from a 3-4 inside linebacker to a 4-3 outside linebacker isn’t easy. It can be an adjustment period for many. Some never fully grasp it. Smith struggled through the first two weeks. He was out of position too often and seemed too conservation in attacking gaps. That changed on Sunday. He was attacking from the start, and Houston had no answers for him on the ground or through the air. It was the kind of performance that he needed to reach that elusive $100 million plateau for a new contract.
There are still 14 games left to go, but Roquan Smith seems to have found his footing after a frustrating summer. The Bears are thrilled to have him back in his usual form. If this trend holds, they won’t have any problems handing him that contract when the off-season arrives. One can only hope games like that aren’t needed every week for the Bears to win. Then again, it’s not like this is anything new.
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