Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson has a ton of respect for his upcoming opponents, the 1-5 Baltimore Ravens.
Don't let the record fool Bears fans, this Ravens team is starting to get healthy at the right time. As part of their current four-game losing streak, Baltimore lost top players like quarterback Lamar Jackson and linebacker Roquan Smith, but both are in line to return against Chicago.
Smith might be a familiar name for Bears fans, and that's because he spent the first four and a half years playing in the Windy City. He was selected twice as a second-team All-Pro. During the season when he was traded to the Ravens in 2022, he made his first Pro Bowl and first-team All-Pro selection.
While Bears fans know the kind of disruptive force Smith can be, Johnson is also aware of how good this guy can be.
"He is fast. He diagnoses quickly. See ball, get ball, sideline to sideline. ... He finds a way to get around blocks and be around the football. We're going to have to do our best to cover him up. ... He is playing at a super high level."
Bears' offense will have their work cut out for them with Smith on the opposite side
What's been working so well for the Bears over the last two weeks is their rushing attack. They have put up season-highs in each of the last two games in rushing yards, with 145 against the Washington Commanders in Week 6 and 222 yards against the New Orleans Saints in Week 7.
It's been back-to-back weeks where D'Andre Swift has rushed for over 100 yards in games, and it will be much needed. That's only if he is healthy enough to play, as Swift was on the injury report and did not practice with a groin injury.
Should he not be able to go, there's always rookie seventh-round pick Kyle Monangai, who is coming off the best game of his young career with 81 yards and his first career touchdown. Monangai has shown he's more than capable of getting the job done.
All this might not mean anything if Smith is getting the job done on his side. He's back after being out two games with a hamstring injury, but returned to practice this week and is in line to play. That will only mean trouble for the running game for Chicago.
Read more: Bears released first Week 8 injury report with major complications to offense
The Bears want to hammer with the run game early and often, but Johnson knows that Smith is on the other side and will only make life miserable for Chicago.