In explaining the Chicago Bears’ vision for adding D’Andre Swift in free agency, coach Matt Eberflus likened him to a slugger, saying the team wanted a “home run hitter” in the backfield.
“I think D’Andre brings that,” Eberflus said in March. “We wanted a weapon back — a guy who could be a weapon out of the backfield. I think he had (39) catches last and he brings that. He’s got tremendous speed. You can feel that when he is running the football but you can definitely feel that as a pass catcher.
“In situational football it’s very difficult to be able to have the two guys outside covered, two tight ends covered, and then you got another situation where you have the weapon back inside. So that was critical.”
But Swift isn’t getting on base. It’s one challenge for the Bears (1-2) as they prepare for the Los Angeles Rams (1-2) on Sunday at Soldier Field. Forget long balls. He’s not hitting singles when he steps to the plate. That’s just one of the complications for a running game that hasn’t been the complement rookie quarterback Caleb Williams needs.
The Bears led the league in rushing in 2022 and finished second last year with former quarterback Justin Fields accounting for 33.3% of the team’s 5,413 rushing yards in those two seasons combined. Fields is gone and now it’s a slog for the Bears to run the ball, having gone from 177.3 yards per game in 2022 to 141.1 in 2023 and now 72.7 through three games.
Without Fields’ production — and the threat of Fields that drew constant attention of opposing defenders — the Bears have struggled turning a profit on the ground. They are averaging 3.5 yards per carry on plays out of the shotgun/pistol and 2.8 on plays from under center.
Their offense was the antidote for an ailing Indianapolis Colts run defense last week, gaining only 63 yards on 28 carries in a 21-16 loss. Enter the Rams and their 30th-ranked run defense (177 yards per game), which is allowing 5.06 yards per carry (28th). Something has to give, and the Bears hope it is steady running lanes and cutback holes for running backs.
“Our desired identity hasn’t changed,” offensive coordinator Shane Waldron said. “The thing we’re working on relentlessly is getting our run game going, improving that area, so that we can play a balanced game.”
Swift has gained only 68 yards on 37 carries (1.8-yard average), and 16 of his attempts have gone for 1 yard, no gain or a loss. It’s fair to wonder what the Bears were thinking when they signed him to a three-year, $24 million contract in free agency, a deal that guaranteed him $14 million.
To be very clear, Swift isn’t the only issue. That would be an easy fix. The offensive line, tight ends, wide receivers and even Williams (executing fakes, using proper footwork, etc.) are needed to make it work. In the words of former Bears offensive coordinator John Shoop: “It takes a village to run the football.” There have been far too many examples of one or two villagers missing their assignment, which has put way too much onus on the passing game.
“It’s not like it’s one area,” running backs coach Chad Morton said. “Maybe a misread here. Not getting a block here. It’s just something. That’s something we can all fix collectively as a group. Everybody has got to be on it with the details and still continue to give great effort, and we’ll go from there.”
There was a subtle shift against the Colts with Roschon Johnson getting more involved — he had eight carries for a team-high 30 yards compared with Swift’s 13 carries and Khalil Herbert’s four. The Bears like Herbert in the short-yardage and goal-line role because he runs consistently behind his pads. One of the focuses for Johnson during his rookie season last year was running with good lean and not being too upright, something that is even more important in short-yardage situations.
“I thought (Johnson) ran hard,” Morton said. “He ran downhill. He ran aggressively. I like his running style. There’s not a lot of east and west runnin’, and that’s what I preach to them all the time. ‘You’re a big guy. Get downhill. Run these guys over. Send a message to these guys.’ ”
Perhaps that will lead to Swift being more of an option on third down and in passing situations because he is a good route runner and effective in space. One thing that cannot be overlooked: When Swift had a career-high 1,049 yards (4.9 average) last season for the Philadelphia Eagles, he was running behind arguably the best line in the league. His first three seasons in the NFL were spent in Detroit behind another powerful line.
The Bears have struggled in the trenches. They will start Matt Pryor at right guard again Sunday, and the linemen know they have to be better in an effort to get the whole thing in sync.
“We need to do everything we can to get it on track,” center Coleman Shelton said. “The good thing is it’s Week 4 and we’ve got plenty of season left. It’s not like the world is crashing down. We’ve got plenty of time to get it going and set up our offense more.
“Keep pounding and grinding and a 4-(yard gain) will turn into 20. The numbers will go up and the average will go up. You keep grinding for a big run and eventually it will happen.”
Giving Johnson a bigger share of the workload seems like a logical step, but the line has to be better too. Just plugging him in isn’t going to solve the issue because whoever has been running the ball has not had a lot of space.
Linemen have not creating a lot of daylight. They are not creating a lot of movement off the ball even on their combination blocks. A north-south back gives them a chance to have the runner create 3 or 4 yards on his own. If Swift’s pressing, Morton said he hasn’t seen it yet, but he has not been effective on outside zone, which has led to some of the unproductive plays in which he gets outflanked with nowhere to go.
Whether it’s from the shotgun/pistol or under center, it hasn’t mattered much. The offense hasn’t been efficient regardless of the track for the running back. One thing that might help is if Waldron calls one or two keepers for Williams. Have him get around the edge, and even if he’s sliding down for only a 5- or 6-yard gain, he’s athletic enough to give the defense — and future opponents — something to be aware of.
No one expected the Bears to run the ball like they did the last two seasons. They shouldn’t need to the way the roster is constructed and with the promise of the passing game. But they need to be more effective and balanced to help Williams achieve greater heights.
“We’ve done it before, you know,” Herbert said. “So just getting in that rhythm … I feel like we’ll be fine. Once we do that, the run will come, the pass will come. Everything will flow.”
SCOUTING REPORT
Kyren Williams, Rams running back
Information for this report was obtained from NFL scouts.
Kyren Williams, 5-foot-9, 202 pounds, is in his third season after the Rams made him a fifth-round pick in 2022 out of Notre Dame.
Williams emerged as a solid cog in the offense last season when he rushed for 1,144 yards and 12 touchdowns in 12 games, averaging 5.03 yards per carry. He also caught 32 passes and scored another three touchdowns. That came after a broken foot and then a high ankle sprain marred his rookie season. It has been a slow start for him this season behind a line dealing with injuries — he has run for only 164 yards (3.0 per carry).
“This looks like a classic example of a guy who has maximized his ability and is at his ceiling already at the start of Year 3 in an offense that has catered to fit what he does as a runner,” the scout said. “He’s not very big. … He ran a 4.65 40 coming out. We’re not talking about high-level traits. What he does have is really good vision. Really good contact balance and he’s possesses good short-area speed. How do you scheme for that? Look at what the Rams did last season. Instead of being zone heavy — in a zone running scheme, you need a guy with some juice to hit those cutback lanes — they went more power-heavy. That’s why they paid (guard) Kevin Dotson to come back. That’s why they paid big money for another guard in Jonah Jackson, who is out injured.
“They wanted to get their line bigger and stronger to create daylight for Williams because when he can get vertical to the second level, he’s a good player. He’s a solid pass catcher. But this isn’t a guy you’re going to compare to a Saquon Barkley or a Bijan Robinson or Jonathan Taylor. He doesn’t have those traits. Eventually he could be a guy who is replaced by Blake Corum, but right now Kyren is a good back for them. He fits what they’re trying to do right now, and the Rams have the best play caller in the NFL in Sean McVay. That’s a good fit right there.”
