A Revealing Roquan Smith Postgame

Bears linebacker puts blame on defense, and possibly one very big roster move made during the previous week

Roquan Smith's comments after the game revealed all, or at least what he could reveal.

Smith was at a loss to say why the Bears have played atrocious defense to start games against the best veteran quarterbacks they faced this year, but had some ideas why they had an especially poor game against Dallas in the 49-29 loss.

The defense gave up 42 of those points, not all 49 as coach Matt Eberflus was quick to point out.

First, Smith took as much blame as he could, including the 1-yard touchdown catch by Jake Ferguson in the second quarter.

"That's my play," Smith said. "I should have made that every day of the week and twice on Sunday.

That's unexcusable and, like I said, it starts with me.

"Defense, we didn't play to our standard and it's unacceptable and it started with me. It's just gotta get better and we all have to get beter with our individual assignments."

Smith had five tackles, a low total for the season in any game for a player who had been leading the NFL in tackles. To his credit, he took the blame even though the defensive linemen in front of him now do little to take blockers off all linebackers.

"Man, it's very frustrating when you think about it, just knowing the guys that we have in the locker room and going out and putting out a performance like that," Smith said. "It's unacceptable.

"O did a great job today moving the ball and scoring points. Defense, we can never allow anyone to score that many points on us. It's always going to start with us and always end with us. And so we have to be better. And it's that simple. We can't let no one run the ball and throw the ball and do whatever like that or score that many points on us, period."

Smith's insight, or willingness to shed light on it, ended here. Or did it?

He couldn't really explain how veteran quarterbacks like Aaron Rodgers, Kirk Cousins and Dak Prescott could come out to start games and make the defense look as transparent as a ghostly Halloween apparition.

"If I knew the answer it wouldn't happen," Smith said. 'So I can't answer that."

It's possible coaching enters here, but players are never hanging coaches out to dry.

This is a deeper question. They might need better game plans to battle quarterbacks like this, or it could be they can't play the scheme as constituted against veteran quarterbacks who know what they're doing because they don't yet have the athletes who can accomplish it. Any number of factors play into this.

It seemed Smith did have thoughts on why they were more ineffective specifically to start the Dallas game.

"Short week, you know a lot goes into the week," Smith said. "That's part of it, part of this business, you know?

"You have friends, people who you keep close to you. And, you know, things happen but all you can do is just grow from it. We all have a job and at the end of the day I'm lucky enough to still have my job. So I'm just going from there. But hats off to my guy Rob, great deal of respect for him."

Obviously, it was a not-so-veiled indication that the loss of Robert Quinn at midweek took its toll.

Definitely, it did with Smith as he broke down and cried with the way they moved a friend and star player out for a draft pick suddenly.

On Sunday, they all looked rather stunned on the defensive side when it ended.

They can count themselves fortunate the trading deadline comes Tuesday so they can get on with playing the final nine games with those players they have remaining on the roster.

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