Introduction to the Bears’ Run Game
The Chicago Bears are starting to trend in the right direction. On offense, Chicago’s big, meaty men in the middle have created more running lanes for D’Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai over the last two weeks, leading to more positive attention. The Bears sit at 4-2, with their two most recent victories—a 26-14 win over the New Orleans Saints on Sunday and an electric, last-minute 25-24 win against the Washington Commanders on Monday Night Football—both happening in large part due to the revitalization of the Chicago run game.
Current Performance
Six games down, the Bears rank second in the NFL in rushing first-down percentage (40.52%), and are also second in the NFL in rush yards per game (145.3) and rushing first-down percentage (44.83%) over their last three games. Swift, Ben Johnson’s lead back, had his two best performances of the season in the past two weeks. He notched 14 attempts for 108 yards rushing to go with two catches, 65 yards receiving, and a touchdown in Week 6. Then Swift added another 19 attempts for 124 yards and a touchdown run with one catch for 14 yards in Week 7.
Contribution of Rookie Kyle Monangai
Rookie seventh-round pick Kyle Monangai joined in on the act in Week 7, too. The Rutgers alum had 13 attempts for 81 yards and scored his first NFL touchdown late in the second quarter of Sunday’s victory. But those performances don’t come to fruition without the offensive line starting to gel, especially when it comes to Chicago’s zone run scheme, predominantly out of 10 personnel.
The New Orleans Tape
According to Next Gen Stats, when rushing to the weak side of the formation, the Bears’ offense had created the 2nd-most yards before contact per carry (2.5) and had the 4th-highest success rate (51.7%) in the NFL heading into Week 7. Alternatively, the Saints defense had forfeited only 0.7 yards before contact per carry (4th-fewest) and allowed a success rate of 38.6% (5th-lowest) against weak-side rushes heading into Week 7. Despite New Orleans’ proficiency against weak side runs on defense, Chicago was still able to find success on those plays.
Example Plays Against the Saints
On their second drive after the Spencer Rattler fumble recovery, the Bears had second-and-12 from the New Orleans 26-yard line near the 12-minute mark. Chicago came out in 10 personnel with Caleb Williams under center and Monangai in the backfield. Williams sent Luther Burden III in motion from right-to-left before the snap, to "create eye candy" for New Orleans’ linebacking corps, as Johnson would put it. After the snap, the Bears’ offensive line slanted toward the strong side of the line on an inside zone run for Monangai. Drew Dalman reached right on a double team with Jonah Jackson on Bryan Bresee (no. 90). Jackson took over the block for Dalman, who elevated to the second level and accounted for the linebacker, Demario Davis (no. 56).
The Washington Tape
Bears found success on outside and wide zone run concepts when facing stacked fronts against Washington. A simple, clear-cut example of the Bears winning on weak-side outside zone runs happened on their first offensive drive of the game against Washington. Chicago had second-and-6 on their second play from scrimmage at the Commanders’ 40-yard line. The Bears came out with a singleback formation in 10 personnel. After Caleb Williams motioned Kmet from the strong side to the weak side of the offensive line pre-snap, he handed the ball off to Swift, who followed his blockers for a 7-yard gain.
Example Plays Against the Commanders
Later near the end of the first quarter, the Bears got even better results on a similar outside zone run to the weak side that was also on a similar down and distance. Chicago was again in 10 personnel out of the shotgun, with Kmet motioning from weak side to strong side ahead of the snap on second-and-5 from inside the Commanders’ red zone. After the snap, the Bears line slanted right, with Dalman having the same objective as before—reach left to intercept the defensive lineman—but this time its a defensive end in the 4i technique. He accomplished that and formed a double team, which allowed Thuney to get to the second level and block the linebacker, Bobby Wagner.
Conclusion
The Bears’ run game has indeed made a breakthrough, thanks to the improved performance of their offensive line and the diversification of their ground attack. With Swift and Monangai leading the charge, the Bears are starting to click on all cylinders, and their run-blocking execution has been impressive. As they continue to build on their progress, the Bears’ run game will be a key factor in their success for the rest of the season.
FAQs
- Q: What is the current record of the Chicago Bears?
A: The Chicago Bears currently sit at 4-2. - Q: Who are the leading running backs for the Bears?
A: D’Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai are the leading running backs for the Bears. - Q: What has been the key to the Bears’ recent success in their run game?
A: The key to the Bears’ recent success in their run game has been the improved performance of their offensive line and the diversification of their ground attack. - Q: What is the Bears’ ranking in the NFL in terms of rushing first-down percentage?
A: The Bears rank second in the NFL in rushing first-down percentage (40.52%). - Q: Who is the lead back for the Bears?
A: D’Andre Swift is the lead back for the Bears, under the guidance of Ben Johnson.
