The Bears have stacked three straight wins, Caleb Williams is rolling, and Monday’s 34-17 victory over the Seattle Seahawks gave Chicago plenty to feel good about. Still, Ben Johnson walked into Wednesday’s press conference with a clear message: the offense isn’t all the way where he wants it yet.
The issue is the ground game. Johnson didn’t dress it up when asked about Chicago’s rushing attack.
"It’s inconsistent," Johnson admitted.
That was the blunt version. The longer version, as Johnson laid it out, is that the Bears started the season running the ball well, but that success has become harder to count on once the competition stiffened. One of the bigger concerns is how often the Bears have had to wait until the second half to get the run game going.
That’s not a fatal flaw when the passing game is humming, but it’s not the kind of pattern Johnson wants to live with. He made it clear that leaning on halftime adjustments to spark the run game is not the ideal setup.
Monday’s win in Seattle fit that script. D’Andre Swift handled 27 carries and finished with 69 yards, a 2.6-yard average, though he also found the end zone three times. The numbers reflected a night where Chicago had trouble consistently creating movement on the ground.
Johnson defended his offensive line, saying the Bears weren’t getting knocked backward on many of those runs. Instead, they were picking up modest gains - two or three yards at a time.
That can work in spots. It’s a different story when it becomes the standard.
There could be some help on the way. Johnson said the return of Kyle Monangai would be a boost, and the rookie back has now missed four straight games. With Monangai out, Swift has been carrying a heavy load, and Johnson said he’s aware of that workload and doesn’t want to wear him down before the season ends.
For now, Chicago’s passing game is covering for the inconsistency on the ground. But Johnson made it plain he doesn’t want that to become the long-term answer.
The Bears are 6-2 and winning. Their run game, though, still has some catching up to do.
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