Roschon Johnson provided Chicago Bears running backs with a spark in Week 3. What’s it mean moving forward?

LAKE FOREST – A week ago, Chicago Bears running back D’Andre Swift pinned the blame on himself for the team’s slow start in the run game. The Bears hadn’t done much of anything on the ground in Weeks 1 and 2.

There was, however, some optimism ahead of a Week 3 matchup against the Indianapolis Colts – who had the worst run defense in the league entering Week 3. But against the Colts last weekend, Swift ran for just 20 yards on 13 carries. He lost 12 yards on a fourth-and-goal carry from the 1-yard line that had no shot.

“It’s high,” Swift said after the game when asked about his frustration level. “I ain’t going to sugarcoat it. It’s high. We’ve got to be better. Like I said the other day, it starts with me. I’ve got to be better.”

As a team, the Bears totaled 63 rushing yards and quarterback Caleb Williams dropped back to pass 56 times in the game, completing 33 of 52 attempts. With the state of the Bears run game, the team had no choice but the throw the football.

The offensive line has been bad through the first three games, but Swift – as he said himself – deserves some of the blame too. The starting running back, who the Bears signed with a three-year, $24.5 million contract in March, has been one of the worst running backs in the league through three weeks, according to several advanced metrics. Swift has only 68 rushing yards in three games.

As a team, the Bears are averaging 72.7 rushing yards per game, which ranks 31st among 32 teams. Their 3.03 yards per attempt also ranks 31st (both metrics are ahead of only Las Vegas).

The one bright spot in last week’s game might have been the emergence of second-year running back Roschon Johnson. The 2023 fourth-round draft pick had been dealing with an injury in training camp and sat out the season opener.

Back fully healthy now, Johnson led the Bears with 30 rushing yards on eight carries against Indianapolis. That included a nice 9-yard gain at one point.

Those numbers aren’t exactly eye-popping statistics. But with a run game that’s stuck in the mud, the Bears are looking for any positives right now.

Johnson expects this run game to keep pushing forward.

“We really have to stay true to our reads,” Johnson said this week at Halas Hall. “Don’t do anything outside of what we’re taught, don’t get outside of our technique, and really just keep knocking it forward and eventually stuff will pop as the game goes along.”

As the advanced metrics indicate, Swift is spending a lot of time dancing in the backfield, moving laterally left-to-right. Johnson was one of the best north-south runners in Week 3, albeit with a small sample size of touches. That could be what the Bears need to spark the run game.

They also, of course, need the offensive line to play better ahead of the running backs. Asked about Swift, Johnson hinted at the fact that the backs need some help too.

“He’s really, I mean, I think he’s done what he needs to do,” Johnson said. “Obviously, we want more success, but I think he’s handled everything well. I don’t see, really, much more he could do. It’s really just, he really just has to keep going.”

At this point, Khalil Herbert looks like he might be option No. 3 in the backfield. Herbert has played only 21 snaps this season and all four of his rushing attempts have come near the goal line. He has not been a factor in this offense except in goal-to-go situations.

Don’t be surprised if the Bears mix in Johnson more throughout the game. When the offense is struggling, the coaching staff has no choice but to go with the hot hand.

Right now, that’s Johnson.

“I bring a physical style, but also a style that can make one or two miss in a subtle way,” Johnson said. “Nothing really too flashy, but something that’s real physical, downhill, someone that can make the right decisions.”