"It's something I didn't set out thinking I'd do," he said of the benchmark. "But you know, being in a small group of guys that have done it with the Vikings is pretty special, just to be mentioned amongst those names.
"I got to see Scott Studwell and Carl Eller before the game, take a picture with them," Smith added. "So stuff like that, I know it'll mean a lot more as I age and get away from football, but it's hard not to think about the game right now. And that's — you know, that's why I'm here."
Smith was part of a Vikings defense that kept Minnesota in the game but couldn't come up with a much-needed turnover.
The Vikings did affect Caleb Williams, putting some pressure on him early and eventually sacking him twice in the fourth quarter. The Bears QB was 16-of-32 passing for 193 yards with no touchdowns and no interceptions. His passer rating was 68.9.
Chicago's run game did some damage, though, with D'Andre Swift racking up 21 carries for 90 yards and Williams scrambling four times for 26 yards. Kyle Monangai had just 23 yards rushing on 12 carries but scored an easy touchdown late in the first half.
The Vikings also backed the Bears up behind the sticks multiple times but then allowed big plays. Chicago faced second-and-25 at the end of the first quarter, and Williams found Rome Odunze for a 24-yard gain, after which Swift picked up 3 yards for the first down. Midway through the third quarter, Williams hit Luther Burden III for 16 yards on third-and-13. After that conversion, the Bears gained 16, 18 and 11 yards on consecutive plays to set up a 33-yard field goal for a 16-3 lead.
Minnesota saw a glimmer of hope late in the game when J.J. McCarthy connected with Jordan Addison for a 15-yard, go-ahead touchdown. But a 56-yard return by Devin Duvernay set the Bears up at the Vikings 40. Swift carried three times: gained 4 yards, was tackled for a 2-yard loss by Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins, then ran for 7 yards. That progress gave Cairo Santos just enough space to kick the decisive 48-yard field goal.