Skip to main content
Advertising

ChicagoBears.com | The Official Website of the Chicago Bears

chalk_talk_article_header_ibew_2500x400

Chalk Talk

.

Chalk Talk: Will Smith play more Monday?

Wondering about a player, a past game or another issue involving the Bears? Senior writer Larry Mayer answers a variety of questions from fans on ChicagoBears.com.

I thought that Roquan Smith looked pretty good in limited action in the Bears opener. Do you think he will play more against the Seahawks?
Bill T.
Valparaiso, Indiana

Yes, I expect first-round draft pick Roquan Smith to play more Monday night against the Seahawks than the eight snaps he got versus the Packers. The Bears have eased Smith back into action after he missed all of training camp due to a contract holdout and then tweaked his hamstring in practice. Here's what coach Matt Nagy had to say about Smith Thursday: "We go back to training camp and you talk about where he was at, and he had that little deal with his hammy, and we wanted to be kind of cautious with it and be smart. I do feel right now, with the time he's had, he's in a position to play more." Smith, who recorded a sack on his first NFL play against the Packers, told reporters that his conditioning wasn't a problem in the game and that he felt fine the next day.

I keep hearing how the Bears are going to throw more deep passes this season than they have in the past, so why didn't they do that against the Packers?
David J.
Skokie, Illinois

I think a lot of that had to do with how the Packers defense was lining up. I saw a lot of cover-two zone coverage where Green Bay was determined to keep the Bears receivers in front of them. Here's what coach Matt Nagy had to say Thursday about not throwing very many long passes in Green Bay: "We always talk about shots, and the shots didn't happen as much in this game as we would've wanted. Sometimes shots happen in this offense when you call a three-step drop, and because of the defense it becomes a shot. Sometimes a pass happens when you call a run. It's not that they weren't necessarily called, it might be that the defense takes it away or you call a shorter call and it doesn't turn into a deeper call because of the coverage. Shots are part of this deal and we're always going to test [the defense]. For that game, we didn't have as many as we'd originally like."

How much did playing with a club on his broken hand affect Leonard Floyd against the Packers? It didn't seem like he was much of a factor in the game.
Henry L.
Muncie, Indiana

Coach Matt Nagy said Thursday that outside linebacker Leonard Floyd—who recorded two tackles and a tackle-for-loss in Sunday night's opener in Green Bay—"wasn't limited at all by his injury. Said Nagy: "His injury had nothing to do with anything. He didn't have all the numbers. But he was flying around. You saw there's a couple times he almost popped that ball out, on a couple pass plays pursuing the ballcarrier. For the most part, we love where he's at. He's playing fast. He feels good. I think he's doing everything he can right now to be the best player."

Related Content

Advertising
Advertising