Bear Digest

Bears try something new to start up D'Andre Swift and ground game

It's not a novel idea but the Bears put their heads together and altered their approach in an effort to get the run blocking and running backs on the same page.
Gene Chamberlain|
D'Andre Swift and the Bears running game have been bottled up largely in three games but they're hoping to break out Sunday.
D'Andre Swift and the Bears running game have been bottled up largely in three games but they're hoping to break out Sunday. | David Banks-Imagn Images

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Chicago Bears

For the first time this season, the Bears offense on Monday did something as a group and they're hoping the net result is a ground game churning out consistent yardage.

“It can be better all over the place right now," coach Ben Johnson said. "We're very conscious of it. We watched all of our runs as a group the other day, on Monday.

"I think I've alluded to it in the past that it can take a little bit of time before this all meshes and it all gels together. We’ve got some new faces up front that haven't played a ton of ball together yet. That's part of the process. It's also for the runners to understand what we intend to do with some of these play calls where we want that ball to hit. Then at the end of the day, they take their natural skillset and they make something big out of it."

It's not just the players involved in trying to improve it.

"Our whole goal as a coaching staff is to get them up to the third level as much as we can, to make these safeties and these corners, tackle them one-on-one," Johnson said. "We haven't been doing that enough.

"As a coaching staff, we need a sound plan and then we need to go out there and we need to execute it just a little bit better than what we have been doing. I'm not discouraged at all."

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The ground game doesn't look bad from a distance, ranking 15th in the  league. On closer inspection, there is much to improve because their 340 rushing yards includes 97 from Caleb Williams, mostly on scrambles.

Before, they would watch film by position groups. They're hoping getting input from everyone together can lead to the consistent big gains.

"I see how close we are to this thing really coming together," Johnson said. "I think that was really the point of the meeting there on Monday was those guys see the same thing.”

In fact, meeting together wasn't even done only for the ground game. It could help in other areas.

"Just trying to get everything on track, from pass blocking, the run block and the  combos, communication up front," running back D'Andre Swift said. "Like (Johnson) said, stuff like that kind of took time. But I feel like what we did on Monday is a great step for us as offense, talking through everything together, and us being all in the same room, so everybody can hear different coaching points from different coaches in different positions."

The line changes made have helped in the passing game because Caleb Williams finally went without being sacked for the first time in his career. But the run blocking has a ways to go.

"It's the little things, it's not bigs," guard Jonah Jackson said. "It's not something where we're getting beat with ability.

"It just something we're doing, so we'll clean it up and make it great."

Swift had a down year last year in yards per carry at 3.8. He's only at 3.5 now. He thinks they're getting close to being in sync and put a time period on the whole process.

"First three to four (games), to be honest with you," Swift said. "Everything, new scheme players and coaching staff kind of learning as we go. And like I said, it's continued to get better week in and week out."

Like Swift and the linemen, Johnson saw things as close to popping.

"I see how close we are to this thing really coming together," he said. "I think that was really the point of the meeting there on Monday was those guys see the same thing.”

They need the ground game to take pressure off the passing attack and, in turn, also open the play-action passing attack.

If true balance is achieved, they could see something that makes last week's 31-point game seem like the same old thing or even a so-so day.

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.