The Chicago Bears defense has faced a lot of adversity this season with injuries to starters Akiem Hicks, Danny Trevathan and Prince Amukamara.
They lost another defensive starter in the first quarter of Thursday’s 31-24 win over the Dallas Cowboys when Roquan Smith suffered a pectoral injury on the Cowboys’ opening possession.
But, unfortunately, losing a key contributor is nothing new for this 2019 Bears team, who were incredibly lucky on the injury front last season.
“We’re just a resilient team,” linebacker Leonard Floyd said. “A team full of fighters, and we’re going to go out and fight every game to win. It’s the group of guys we’ve got in the building. Everybody has a next-man-up mentality. And guys are doing a good job of coming in and playing hard.”
Veteran inside linebacker Kevin Pierre-Louis relieved Smith in the first quarter. And he didn’t just play well — he played lights out. Pierre-Louis recorded five tackles, one tackle-for-loss, one quarterback hit and two pass break-ups against the Cowboys.
For Pierre-Louis, there was no hesitation when his number was called.
“In those moments, there’s no time to think like that,” he said.
“You’ve just got to be there for your brothers and then just go with what you’ve been practicing each week. I’m blessed to have the guys round me to help me out if I need help — guys rushing; guys covering. I just need to do my job.”
With reports that Smith tore his pectoral muscle, it’s likely his season is done, which means that Pierre-Louis will have at least three more games to prove himself. And the next game — a Week 15 showdown against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field — couldn’t be bigger.
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