Chicago Bears: 5 X-factors for beating the Vikings in Week 10

3. Roquan Smith, LB

Roquan Smith is having another good season. He’s now known as general manager Ryan Pace’s only first-round hit. This season, he has 82 tackles, including a league-high 62 solo tackles.

Smith has been a tackling machine since his rookie season. He had 121 tackles that season. Last season, he was on pace to eclipse that mark before a torn pectoral muscle cut his season to 12 games. This season, he is on pace to record 146 tackles. He’s been all over the field making plays.

Smith needs to continue that stellar play this week, especially against the run. The Vikings’ biggest offensive weapon is running back Dalvin Cook. Cooke is coming off a great game. He amassed 206 yards and 2 touchdowns. He had almost as many rushing yards as Kirk Cousins had passing yards (220).

If the Bears can hold Cook they’ll have a great chance of winning. If the game is in Cousins’ hands, Minnesota is in trouble. In five games against the Bears, Cousins has two wins. He’s only thrown 5 touchdown passes and has 3 interceptions. Additionally, he’s been sacked 15 times. He cannot escape the Bears’ defensive pressure.

In order for the Bears to put the ball in Cousins’ hands, they have to slow down Cook. The Bears do have a history of holding Cook down. In three career games against Chicago, he has just 86 yards on 34 runs. That’s an average of 2.5 yards per run. Considering how great a runner he is, that is certainly a shutdown.

Smith is the key. If he can get through the line and hit Cook, then the other players can come in and gang tackle him. That is sure to slow him down.