It’s tough for the Chicago Bears to find their rhythm on offense with a rookie quarterback starting.
Things get even harder for Caleb Williams to adjust when the team struggles so much with its running game. The Bears have had a rough time running the ball, starting weak and getting worse. In their recent loss to Indianapolis, they only managed 63 rushing yards on 28 attempts.
Bears coach Matt Eberflus mentioned that the switch to a new offensive system under Shane Waldron is one reason the Bears rank 30th in rushing after finishing second last year.
“I think that’s part of it,” Eberflus said on Monday, noting that Roschon Johnson led the team with 30 rushing yards. “But I do think that Roschon gets going here, (because) he did a really good job yesterday in terms of denting the pile forward and doing a good job that way.”
Johnson had missed the early part of the season due to an injury. The Bears also got 20 yards on 13 carries from D’Andre Swift, who was signed for $24 million over three years. He has only 68 yards this season, averaging 1.8 yards per carry.
“I think we have three unique guys that have skill sets that we can really utilize as we get going during the course of this year and it’s important that we do that,” Eberflus said.
However, things didn’t go well on Sunday, especially at the goal line right before halftime. The Bears had four chances to score from the 4-yard line but failed to get a touchdown, losing the game 21-16.
After three runs by Khalil Herbert put them at the 1-yard line, the Bears tried a risky option pitch to Swift on fourth down against a defensive setup that wasn’t favorable, even though Williams could have called a different play.
