The Chicago Bears defense didn’t have Akiem Hicks. They didn’t have Roquan Smith or Bilal Nichols. It didn’t matter. They utterly, totally steamrolled the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday for a dominant 16-6 victory. This puts the team at 3-1, the same record as the Green Bay Packers in a tie for the NFC North lead. What’s so crazy about this game isn’t that the stars played great (they did, but that some of the backups were absolute studs.
Nick Williams had two sacks on the afternoon. Roy Robertson-Harris had 1.5 sacks. However, the most unlikely hero of all was none other than linebacker Nick Kwiatkoski. Yep, that guy. The longtime backup was suddenly thrust into the starting lineup before the game when it was announced that Roquan Smith was doubtful to play due to personal reasons. Everybody panicked, knowing Kwiatkoski’s limitations as a player and having to face the #1 rushing attack in the NFL.
This didn’t seem to bother the man one bit. He didn’t just turn in a good performance, but a great one. Not only did he lead the team with nine tackles, he also had a sack and two tackles for a loss. On top of that, he delivered a crushing blitz to Dalvin Cook that flushed Kirk Cousins right into the arms of Williams for one of his sacks. It was a superb game from a man who’s been picked on quite a bit in the past.
Chicago Bears defense proved they aren’t solely star-driven
The best defenses in history had star power, sure. This Bears unit is no different. Khalil Mack? Kyle Fuller? Eddie Jackson? The list is extensive. However, great defenses also have another advantage: depth. Chicago proved in this game that they are not only the best defense in the NFL, but the deepest one too. They got more than simply adequate games from their reserves. They got dominant ones. This is proof of the incredible work done by GM Ryan Pace and his front office.
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The talent across the board is mesmerizing at time. The Bears know they’ll always be in football games with a defense like that. With or without the injury problems. The status of Smith is unknown at this point. Odds are he’ll return next week in London against the Raiders. Akiem Hicks is a different story. His knee injury may keep him out one more week with the Bears bye coming afterward. Given how the defense just played, they may not need him.
