Nearly two weeks later, the highlight still has sizzle, a run that Chicago Bears guard Teven Jenkins didn’t fully appreciate until he watched the video. D’Andre Swift was in a mood by that point, late in the fourth quarter of a close game against the Washington Commanders
Swift knew the moment the Bears had to meet on what, for much of the first three quarters, had been a frustrating day for the offense. So when it came time to meet Commanders safety Quan Martin in the hole, Swift was breathing fire.
From extensive film study the prior week and after multiple encounters with Martin earlier in the game, Swift sensed the young defensive back was going to go low with his tackle attempt on a run up the middle. So he measured it up.
“To be honest,” Swift said, “I didn’t really have room to go right or left. So it was either go up or run through him.”
He opted for the launching pad. Right over Martin.
“I was like, ‘Oh, (bleep)!’” Jenkins said. “That was just crazy.”
As impressive as the hurdle was, Swift’s contact balance and power added the exclamation point. When he landed beyond Martin, he was hit instantly by cornerback Mike Sainristil and then safety Jeremy Chinn yet somehow kept churning for an additional 10 yards on a 22-yard run.
“I was trying to score,” Swift said. “It’s a mentality at the end of the day.”
Added Jenkins: “That’s what makes him special.”
Nearly two weeks later, Swift sized that moment up in the growing collection of hurdle highlights he has put together during a five-season career with the Detroit Lions, Philadelphia Eagles and Bears.
“That was probably the cleanest of them all as far as my ability to land and keep going,” Swift said.
The explosive run registered as the Bears’ longest play on a fourth-quarter drive that took them to the 1-yard line for a potential go-ahead touchdown against the Commanders. Two possessions earlier, Swift’s 56-yard touchdown run provided the jolt of energy and hope the Bears so badly needed.
What might have been, right?
Swift finished that afternoon with a season-high 129 rushing yards. Had the Bears been able to hold on to the 15-12 lead they took in the final half-minute, the 25-year-old running back likely would have been showered with praise for his rescue efforts in what had the potential to become a season-changing victory.
Instead, Swift’s performance became just a footnote on one of the most galling losses in franchise history — 18-15 on a final-play Hail Mary.
Now the Bears may need to plug into Swift again for a jump-start. In the middle of a dispiriting two-game losing streak and with the offense in a funk, Sunday’s formula against the New England Patriots should call for a heavy dose of the running game. Offensive coordinator Shane Waldron has been urged by coach Matt Eberflus to get the team’s ground attack unlocked. And Swift is confident he can do his part this weekend at Soldier Field.
“This,” he said Thursday afternoon, “is a great opportunity for us.”
The door is open
As the Bears have studied the New England defense, they have been struck by the possibilities that exist. The Patriots remain without defensive tackle Christian Barmore, middle linebacker Ja’Whuan Bentley and safety Jabrill Peppers, three key playmakers in an otherwise pedestrian unit. The Patriots rank 26th against the run and over the last five games have allowed an average of 167 rushing yards.
For the season, four opposing backs have topped 100 yards against New England — the San Francisco 49ers’ Jordan Mason (24, carries, 123 yards), Houston Texans’ Joe Mixon (13-102), Jacksonville Jaguars’ Tank Bigsby (26-118) and Tennessee Titans’ Tony Pollard (28-128).
That’s an open invitation to the Bears to establish their running game and, regardless of the early results, commit to it. “There are definitely things we have seen that we can attack,” Jenkins said. “And it’s something we’re working to get done this week.”
Three weeks ago in London, the Jaguars offered a tutorial on run-game commitment. After falling behind the Patriots 10-0 at Wembley Stadium, the Jaguars fueled their 32-16 victory with a run-heavy attack. They wound up with 39 rushes on 59 plays. During one stretch in the second half, the Jaguars ran the ball on 16 consecutive plays.
When Swift learned of that nugget, his eyes lit up.
“That’s crazy,” he said. “Like I say, this is a great opportunity for us. But this isn’t about just this game. We have to establish that every game. If we can get our running game rolling, it opens up everything else.”
A plan for success
Much of this now circles back to Waldron and his ability to formulate a winning game plan for this weekend’s matchup. To hear the offensive coordinator tell it Thursday afternoon, he doesn’t need much convincing as to how valuable Swift is.
He was particularly impressed by how Swift responded to his slow start to the season. After totaling 68 rushing yards and averaging 1.8 yards per carry in the Bears’ first three games, Swift totaled 533 yards from scrimmage and four touchdowns over the next four outings, three of those wins.
“You talk about hard work paying off,” Waldron said. “You see (his ability) — with his toughness, his quickness, his ability in the run game and in the pass game — to be a multifaceted player for us.”
Last week, though, Swift managed just 51 rushing yards on 16 attempts. The offense never visited the end zone in a lopsided road loss.
But now the Bears hope to get Swift revved up early Sunday against the Patriots.
“We see this as an opportunity to start fast,” Jenkins said. “And if we can establish that run game, we can open up way more of our offense. It will be incredibly beneficial for us to get going in that direction.”
