The Chicago Bears built their offensive identity this season on the ground-and for most of the year, it worked. They finished the regular season ranked third in both rushing yards per game (144.5) and yards per carry (4.9), a testament to the run-first philosophy that Ben Johnson brought with him from Detroit. The ground game wasn’t just a complement to the offense-it was the engine.
But lately, that engine has sputtered.
In Week 18 against the Lions, the Bears managed just 65 rushing yards, their lowest total of the season. Things didn’t improve much in the Wild Card Round against Green Bay, where they ran the ball 28 times for only 93 yards and a touchdown. That’s not the kind of production you want heading into January football-especially not when the weather gets colder, the games get tighter, and every possession matters.
Now, with a Divisional Round matchup looming against the Los Angeles Rams and their 12th-ranked run defense, Johnson knows the Bears need to rediscover their ground game.
“Yeah, it feels like it's dipped a little bit,” Johnson admitted this week. “Not something that we certainly want.
Certainly, late in the season, we wanted that to pick up. Playoffs, weather games like this-you certainly want to be able to lean on your run game.”
He’s right. In the postseason, the ability to control the clock and wear down a defense with a consistent run game can be a difference-maker.
Johnson mentioned the need for both efficient runs to stay ahead of schedule and explosive plays to flip the field. The Bears haven’t been getting enough of either lately.
But there might be a wildcard in all this-and his name is Caleb Williams.
According to analyst Ben Solak, Williams could be the surprise factor that reignites the Bears’ rushing attack. Solak predicted that the rookie quarterback will rack up 60-plus rushing yards and a touchdown against the Rams, citing his ability to escape pressure and create with his legs.
And that’s not just wishful thinking.
The Rams boast a fierce pass rush, but they’ve struggled at times to contain mobile quarterbacks. Just last week, Bryce Young broke loose for 24 yards and a touchdown on only three carries in the Wild Card Round.
And while Young is elusive, Williams brings a different level of athleticism and improvisation to the position. He’s the kind of quarterback who can turn a broken play into a 20-yard gain-and that’s exactly the kind of spark this offense needs.
Now, Williams hasn’t run wild this season-at least not consistently. In fact, he finished the regular season with fewer rushing yards than he had as a rookie in 2024. But he did find the end zone three times with his legs this year after being shut out in that category last season.
And when he’s asked to run, he can deliver. He’s already hit the benchmarks Solak laid out once this season, rushing for 64 yards and a touchdown against the Giants in Week 10.
He came close in Week 1 as well, posting 58 yards and a score against Minnesota. Notably, those were two of the only games where he had more than five rushing attempts-so when the Bears commit to letting him use his legs, the results tend to follow.
That’s the key heading into Sunday night. The Bears don’t necessarily need to overhaul their offense or abandon the run game they’ve leaned on all year. But they do need to get creative-and that might mean giving Williams more freedom to take off when the pocket collapses or even dialing up a few designed runs to keep the Rams’ defense honest.
It’s a delicate balance. You don’t want to expose your rookie quarterback to unnecessary hits, especially in the postseason. But in a game where yards will be hard to come by and every possession counts, Williams’ mobility could be the X-factor that tips the scales.
If Chicago wants to keep its playoff run alive, it’ll need to get back to doing what it does best-pounding the rock. And if that means letting their quarterback lead the charge, so be it.