Bears linebacker Roquan Smith opened the season with two games that would have been good for many linebackers in the NFL but were considered duds for him: nine tackles and a half-sack against the 49ers and 11 tackles against the Packers. But he made virtually no impact plays.
A hip injury suffered after the loss to the Packers only added doubt to a huge prove-it season for Smith, who ‘‘bet on myself’’ after a ‘‘distasteful’’ failed negotiation for a long-term contract.
But that doubt quickly evaporated when Smith played against the Texans last Sunday and made the kind of impact you expect from a player seeking a $100 million contract. He had 16 tackles, two tackles for loss and a game-turning interception in the fourth quarter that led to the Bears’ winning field goal.
The difference?
‘‘Not practicing all week,’’ Smith said to laughter from a media scrum at his locker Thursday.
Just like that, life is good for Smith, 25. All jokes aside, the key to his ‘‘breakout’’ game simply was doing what Smith does best: playing football.
‘‘Just reading my keys, watching film, trusting my teammates that they’re going to be in the right place at the right time,’’ Smith said. ‘‘I was just shooting my shot.’’
For a kid from the tiny town of Montezuma, Georgia (population, 3,039), Smith loves the big stage and the attention and recognition that comes with it. So the bright lights of the big city in the game Sunday against the Giants at MetLife Stadium is perfect for an encore performance after his big game against the Texans.
‘‘Oh, that would be pretty sweet,’’ Smith said. ‘‘Being able to get a little limelight and making plays, getting the dub [a victory], that would be pretty sweet.’’
No doubt, he’s a man on a mission. Smith didn’t even try to hide his disdain for the Bears’ organization, general manager Ryan Poles or the entire process of negotiations for a long-term contract after coming up empty following his training camp ‘‘hold-in.’’
‘‘It’s the last year of my deal, and, hey, I’m just going to take it, run with it, bet on myself like I’ve always done,’’ he said at the time. ‘‘The negotiations are over right now. I’m just focused on the season [and] being the best Bear I can be because I owe that to the guys in the locker room and to the city and all the loyal fans out there.’’
The game last week put him back on track to win his ‘‘bet,’’ but only if that’s just the start. That’s a narrative you can believe in: Smith getting into a football groove, getting healthy and getting acclimated to coach Matt Eberflus’ defense at the same time. Ready for takeoff.
‘‘I think he’s just getting comfortable in the defense,’’ Eberflus said. ‘‘It’s a big difference going from a 3-4 [alignment] to a 4-3. I’ve had a lot of linebackers — because I switched over when I was in Dallas and [in] Indy — they were 3-4 going to a 4-3, and what happens [is], it’s different. You play off the defensive linemen in front of you a little bit different. It’s more of a speed position, more of a downhill, attacking position than a lateral slide position.’’
Feeling ‘‘a lot better now than I did last week,’’ Smith is set up for another big step Sunday. Every game he plays, there’s a lot on the line. He loves the pressure. He loves the limelight. And for a small-town guy, he loves the big city.
