CHICAGO (670 The Score) -- It all happened so fast. Bears linebacker Roquan Smith, who had just scored a touchdown for the first time since he was a Macon County Bulldog, found himself swept up in the excitement. In front of the first full Soldier Field crowd in almost two years, his 53-yard pick-six had given the Bears a two-touchdown lead, and the lakefront was bumping. Somewhere in the delirium of the end-zone dogpile, Smith flipped the ball into the stands -- it was the only mistake he made all afternoon.
"I'll just keep the jersey and the memory," Smith joked after the Bears' 20-17 win against the Bengals. "The guy who got the ball, I'm sure he'll enjoy it. If I can make his day, I'm fine with that."
Smith made plenty of people's day against the Bengals, leading the Bears in tackles (eight) while notching his first sack of the season. For the first 55 minutes of the game, the defense returned to the level that fans have come to expect during the Matt Nagy era. The Bears forced turnovers -- and plenty of them: three interceptions and one forced fumble, to be specific. The pass rushers performed like they're paid to, getting to Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow four times (Robert Quinn, Khalil Mack, Bilal Nichols and Smith had sacks) and hitting him another nine. For as much as this group doesn't like talking about its dominant 2018, it's hard to avoid comparisons after a performance like Sunday's.
"As a defensive player, you live for moments like that," safety Tashaun Gipson said. "Those type of games don't come often, but when they do, man. Those are the fun types of games, especially in front of the home crowd. It couldn't have happened at a better time, especially after last week. We needed that type of energy. We came out and we fed off the fans. And once that first (turnover) came … they come in bunches, and this was huge for us."
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The Bengals certainly aren't the world-beaters that the Rams look to be, but holding an offense that features Burrow, receiver Ja'Marr Chase, receiver Tee Higgins and running back Joe Mixon to 17 points and 248 total yards is an objectively impressive feat, especially considering how dangerous the Cincinnati offense looked in a win against Minnesota in Week 1. After getting torched for 320 yards and three touchdowns by Rams quarterback Matt Stafford in the opener, the Bears secondary made plays when it needed to Sunday -- whether it was safety Eddie Jackson's forced fumble in the second quarter or cornerback Jaylon Johnson's first career interception in the fourth.
"We've got to finish a lot better, but our mindset was 'keep attacking, keep attacking,'" Johnson said. "We had a lot of making up to do. We were attacking every play we can."
After the game, most of the defensive players who spoke with the media talked about how necessary the performance Sunday will be for the group's confidence going forward. This is a unit that's used to playing well -- and with a signature swagger and energy. It's also a unit that's used to carrying the team and having to take chances in game-changing moments. It just so happens that sometimes it'll cost them the occasional 15-yard penalty (or two), such as when Gipson was flagged for taunting Chase early in the game after an incompletion.
"That's just them having fun," Quinn said. "I'm kind of calm in nature, so when they start making plays and having fun like that, I just try to do my little dance too. It's just giving us energy, and you want to keep it going. That just shows that everyone was having a good time."
Cam Ellis is a writer for 670 The Score and Audacy Sports. Follow him on Twitter @KingsleyEllis.
