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Akiem Hicks’ absence looming larger for Bears

The first time the Bears played without Akiem Hicks, his absence was hardly noticed.

In Week 4 against the Vikings at Soldier Field, the Bears played not only without Hicks — their Pro Bowl defensive end — but linebacker Roquan Smith, who missed that game for personal reasons. The Bears responded to the absence of two of their premier defensive players with a dominant performance.

They held Vikings running back Dalvin Cook, who came in averaging an NFL-best 125 yards a game, to 34 yards on 15 carries. They held the Vikings to 222 total yards, 3.