The Chicago Bears have established the run.
It took four weeks, and it has come against below-average defenses, but the Bears have been a well-balanced attack during their three-game winning streak.
D’Andre Swift, who’s fourth in the league in rushing since Week 4, is running better. The line is blocking better. The play calls are more effective. Everything’s working, and we’re seeing the Swift impact on the passing game, too, whether he’s catching the ball or his threat to run is helping create big plays for rookie quarterback Caleb Williams.
Sunday’s win over the Jaguars in London understandably focused on Williams, wide receiver Keenan Allen and tight end Cole Kmet, but Swift had 119 total yards and a score.
This week’s All-22 breakdown takes a look at how Swift and fellow running back Roschon Johnson made an impact on offense. (All screenshots courtesy of NFL+.)
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The screen pass has been a major part of this three-game uptick on offense. The Bears have the athletic offensive linemen to get out in space, a shifty running back and a quarterback who can adjust his arm angle and time it well.
In the third quarter, Williams lined up under center and faked the handoff to Swift, who then turned around for the pass. The routes downfield created the illusion of a play-action deep ball, putting Jaguars linebackers in position to respect the run but then backpedal for the pass, only to turn around again when the ball went to Swift.
Across the board, it was a strong game for the offensive line. Here, center Coleman Shelton does a nice job sticking with Jags defensive tackle DaVon Hamilton. Guard Matt Pryor ultimately comes over to help, and Swift does the rest on a 19-yard scamper.
Earlier in the game, the Bears used the threat of the screen to their advantage on Williams’ touchdown pass to Kmet. The beautifully designed play had the Jaguars running all over, first for the fake to Allen and then respecting Swift.
Linebacker Devin Lloyd gets put in a blender as Kmet runs past him up the seam.
Credit Swift for playing up the fake, too, and this only works if the Bears are adept at running back screens, which they have been of late. According to TruMedia, in Weeks 4-6, the Bears are 6-for-6 passing on screens to running backs for 121 yards and a passer rating of 118.8.
Speaking of screens, let’s have Johnson enter the chat. He’s been the third-down back during this run and has made clutch catches for first downs.
Another pre-snap element we’re seeing more often is motion, and receiver DJ Moore is the one on this play who attracts the attention of Lloyd (yellow), who takes just a step toward Moore on his motion to the right flat. That’s enough to help give Johnson’s lead blockers only one defender between them and the first-down marker.
From the wide angle, you can see how the Bears’ downfield routes against Jacksonville’s man defense also helped create the space for the second-year back to gain yards.
Swift’s longest run of the game was 19 yards. What’s really impressive, and such a contrast to the first three games, is the push the Bears’ O-line gets off the snap. Right tackle Darnell Wright and Pryor drive Jaguars defensive tackle Esezi Otomewo back. There are two other double-teams taking place, creating the hole for Swift.
In Weeks 4-6, Swift is averaging 2.41 yards before contact, per TruMedia, fifth best among running backs in the NFL in that span. in Weeks 1-3, he was at 0.14 yards before contact, which ranked 43rd out of 46 qualifying backs.
Here’s another play where Swift has plenty of room in front of him when he gets the ball in his hands. It’s a toss to the right, and when the Bears tried these plays a month ago, someone would’ve gotten through.
Instead, Swift has the calvary out front.
From behind the play, we can admire all the blocks the Bears set, with Kmet, Wright and Shelton leading the way, and wide receiver Rome Odunze adding a nice seal down the field.
The Bears still throw the ball enough to keep defenses honest, of course. They’re 10th in the league in “neutral pass rate,” how often they call a pass on first down, per Ben Baldwin.
On this 12-yard run in the second quarter, the left side of Jacksonville’s line rushes upfield expecting Williams to fake the handoff and pass. And then the blocks are set, creating an easy cutback lane for Swift.
We saw Williams use his legs for explosive plays against the Jaguars. The two longest runs were on scrambles, but he also had a first-down run on a designed keeper.
Williams isn’t going to be as dynamic as Justin Fields as a runner, but he is definitely quick enough to take advantage of plays like this one, when the defense is keying on Swift, and Williams kept it for a 10-yard run.
Who knows how much confidence matters, but this group has a lot of it right now. Swift was one of the worst backs in football after three weeks, and he’s been one of the best the last three.
The much-maligned offensive line is seventh in pass block win rate per ESPN and second in run block win rate.
Everyone is benefitting, and it has created an offense that is rolling heading into the bye. The next two opponents, the Commanders and Cardinals, rank 26th and 28th, respectively, in run defense success rate.
“It has been huge,” Allen said after the game. “The run game has come alive. The first couple weeks it was struggling, but it has really come alive. We’ve got the screen game going. And D’Andre coming out of the backfield is second to none. As long as you have to account for everyone, and Caleb’s out there running around, we’re kind of hard to play.”
(Top photo: Peter van den Berg / Imagn Images)
