The Bears went into the season with the spotlight fixed on Caleb Williams, Ben Johnson and a passing game that was supposed to take the next step. Three weeks in, Chicago has ended up leading the NFL in a very different category.
Through three games, the Bears own the league’s top rushing attack at 184.3 yards per game. That adds up to 553 rushing yards, a number that stands out even more because Chicago averaged 139.5 on the ground last season. What was supposed to be an offense built around Williams and an expanded aerial attack has turned into a group that can punish defenses on the ground.
D’Andre Swift has been central to that shift. He opened the year by going for 124 yards and three touchdowns on 18 carries against Carolina, then added another strong showing against Minnesota before finishing with 84 rushing yards Monday night against Philadelphia. Through three games, Swift has 253 rushing yards and a 4.7-yard average per carry.
The Bears didn’t even need a huge Swift night to keep rolling against the Eagles. With 38-year-old Case Keenum starting at quarterback, Chicago still controlled the game and left Soldier Field with a 27-7 win. Keenum threw for 247 yards and two touchdowns, and the Bears held the ball for nearly 37 minutes.
That’s the part that makes this offense more interesting than anyone expected.
Ben Johnson doesn’t have to ask Williams to carry everything. That’s not a quarterback controversy, and it doesn’t mean the Bears are anything other than Williams’ team for the long haul. But while Williams recovers from his hamstring injury, Chicago has learned something valuable: this offense can still function without putting the whole load on the quarterback.
That matters. A real running game changes how defenses can play the Bears once Williams is back.
It makes it harder for opponents to just sit on the passing game, take away the deep shots and force Chicago into long, grinding drives through the air. Johnson now has another way to make a defense pay.
The Eagles game offered a glimpse of how that can work. Chicago piled up 375 total yards even with its third-string quarterback, and the threat of the run helped create openings elsewhere as Philadelphia committed resources to stopping it.
Of course, three games is a tiny sample. No one should be declaring the Bears the rushing champs in October. Defenses will adjust, injuries can change everything and Chicago still has 14 regular-season games to go.
But this doesn’t look like a fluke built on a few explosive plays. Swift has been efficient, the Bears have already shown they can run the ball without their starter under center, and Johnson has shown he’s willing to build the game plan around whatever gives Chicago the best chance that week.
Next up is the New York Jets on Sunday.
The Bears still want the passing game to grow around Williams. They just may have found something that makes that growth easier: an offense that can hit you from the ground first.
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Tyson Bagent Faces One Bears Test That Could Decide Everything
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For Chicago, the question is less about asking Bagent to be a hero than about what a workable game plan looks like around him. His style gives the Bears a chance to lean into what he does well, but the bigger issue is whether the offense can stay on schedule and avoid forcing him into spots that dont fit his strengths. [Read more 🡒]