The Chicago Bears, through the first four weeks of the season, were 2-2 and had a few questions that needed to be answered. While Rome Odunze looked elite, and Caleb Williams seemingly took a positive step, there was one phase of the game that needed work.
With D'Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai leading the way, the Bears' running game wasn't very good through the first four weeks. But, coming out of the bye week, the run game turned the corner. Swift began rushing the ball incredibly well, and Monangai added on solid production in Week 7 as well.
But how did the run game improve? Larry Mayer of chicagobears.com shared insight from Swift and Monangai, among others, on just how the rushing attack improved since the bye week.
How the Bears' rushing attack turned into a strength after the bye week
"We watched the film," Monangai said, "And it was the little things, where we're a guy away here, it was on us in the backfield, where we missed a read by a step or a footwork detail or all that little stuff that can go from missing a big play or gashing a 40-yarder or a touchdown."
As Monangai alludes to, the little things can easily stack up to hurt the rushing game. Missing a hole in the offensive line that forms for a second can be the difference between a long run and a short gain.
Add on that the Bears were still figuring out their scheme and offensive line group, and it's not a surprise that in the first four weeks of Johnson's offense, the running game wasn't running at peak efficiency.
But now, as Swift said, the offense is clicking up front, and the rest of the players, from the runners to the receivers blocking out wide, are working in tandem to form a great ground game.
"We are clicking up front, and the receivers are doing a great job on the perimeter," Swift said. "Hats off to them. If they do their jobs up front and we get a little space as the backs, everybody in our room, we're going to make something happen after that. I feel like we've been doing a better job this week and the past week of clicking on all cylinders and doing our jobs."
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Against the Washington Commanders in Week 6, the Bears saw Swift go for 108 yards on 14 attempts, good for 7.7 yards per carry.
The next week, against the New Orleans Saints, Swift ran for 124 yards and a touchdown on 19 attempts. Monangai added on another 81 rushing yards and a touchdown on 13 carries against the Saints in the Bears' best rushing attack all year.
Week 1 saw Swift manage just 53 rushing yards on 17 attempts, and it didn't get much better from there. He had 63 yards and one touchdown on 12 attempts in Week 2, 33 yards on 13 attempts in Week 3, and 38 yards on 14 attempts in Week 4.
But, since the bye week, Swift and Monangai have been much better at running the ball. Good matchups against the Saints and Commanders help, but the rushing attack improving so much is huge for the Bears.
Getting to this point was a combination of factors, including Swift and Monangai hitting the right holes up front, and also just having the offense get familiar with Johnson's scheme.
In Week 8, the Bears will face a depleted Baltimore Ravens defense that should allow for Swift and Monangai to run on. Ben Johnson's running game is finally clicking, and amid a four-game win streak, it's happening at the perfect time.
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