The Chicago Bears will be at an even larger disadvantage than initially thought: they’ll be without their excellent second-year linebacker Roquan Smith. It was announced by the team prior to the game that Smith would be doubtful due to “personal reasons.”

#Bears LB Roquan Smith has been downgraded to doubtful for today’s game. — Chicago Bears (@BearsPR) September 29, 2019

So no Nichols or Roquan Smith, and likely no Hicks (or a severely limited Hicks at best). That's not ideal for a defense going up against possibly the best rushing attack in the NFL. — Johnathan Wood (@Johnathan_Wood1) September 29, 2019

The Bears confirmed Smith’s absence from the game when they released their list of inactive players for the Vikings game. The team will also be without starting defensive lineman Akiem Hicks, starting guard Kyle Long, wide receiver Taylor Gabriel, cornerback Kevin Tolliver and defensive lineman Bilal Nichols. Mike Davis is also inactive for personal reasons. Davis recently lost his father, and had missed some time this week to be with his family.

Bears INACTIVES ILB Smith (personal)

DL Hicks (knee)

RG Long (hip)

WR Gabriel (concussion)

CB Toliver

DL Nichols (hand)

RB Davis …an inauspicious list to say the least. Vikings run game will be a huge challenge today for some backups in the Bears front 7. — Rich Campbell (@Rich_Campbell) September 29, 2019

#Bears running back Mike Davis is also inactive today for personal reasons. His father recently passed away. — Adam Jahns (@adamjahns) September 29, 2019

What Does it All Mean For the Bears Defense Against the Vikings?

The Bears will have to stop the league’s leading rusher in Dalvin Cook without two of their best defensive starts in Hicks and Smith. Smith’s sudden scratch from the lineup is a huge surprise–he practiced all week, whereas Hicks didn’t practice at all. Both were huge reasons why the Bears had a top five defense against the run in 2018.

Smith has been a constant presence on the Bears defense this season, and he was off to an excellent start. He had played in 212 of the team’s total 220 defensive snaps so far this year.

FYI, Roquan Smith played 212 of the 220 total snaps on defense in Weeks 1-3. #Bears — Arthur Arkush (@ArthurArkush) September 29, 2019

The Bears will have to have players step up in every area of the field against Minnesota–including the offense–in order to compensate for these huge losses.

Bears Defense: Kwiatkoski, Williams and Robertson-Harris Must Now Step Up

With Smith sidelined, Bears backup linebacker Nick Kwiatkoski must now step up to help Eddie Goldman, Khalil Mack and Company to stop the run. Kwiatkoski has played well against the Vikings in the past, but the absence of Hicks will also be strongly felt. Linebacker Nick Williams and defensive lineman Roy Robertson-Harris will have to fill Hicks’ substantial cleats.

Williams and Robertson-Harris have been excellent in limited action so far this season, and this game will be an excellent opportunity for them to step up and show what they’ve got against a very tough opponent in a huge divisional match.

Mitchell Trubisky and Bears Offense Will Have to Step Up, As Well

Bears quarterback Mitchell Trubisky will have to limit mistakes and play better than his counterpart, Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins. This game is a must-win for both teams, and how the Bears third-year quarterback responds at home will be key to whether the Bears win this game.

Akiem Hicks, Roquan Smith and Kyle Long are among the #Bears' inactives today, putting pressure on Mitch Trubisky to step up and get a result in a must-win game: https://t.co/9vYkzWkUJH — Bears Talk (@NBCSBears) September 29, 2019

Bears rookie running back David Montgomery is also another key factor. Nagy has used Montgomery sparingly, and that should change against Minnesota in a game where the offense will need all the help it can get.