To attack Packers' weakness and cover up their own, Bears need to rely on rushing attack Saturday
If the Bears want to lighten the burden on quarterback Caleb Williams in his first playoff game and limit the exposure of their unsteady defense, their running game could do both when they host the Packers on Saturday.
Of all the things the Bears established under coach Ben Johnson in his first season, the turnaround of the ground attack was the most pronounced. They went from eighth-worst in 2024 to a powerhouse this season at 144.5 yards per game, third in the NFL, and that was with the same lead back in D’Andre Swift and the addition of seventh-round draft pick Kyle Monangai.
When those two get going, it makes a world of difference for everyone. Play action becomes far more of a threat for Williams if the Bears are in manageable second downs and short-yardage scenarios on third. And there’s no better way to help the defense than by the offense going on long, productive drives.
That’s what the Packers did to them in both regular-season games, holding a time-of-possession advantage of 72:26 to 52:44, it drove Johnson crazy.
“The story of both games so far has been their offense possessing the ball, and when that happens, you have limited opportunities, limited possessions and it makes each play and each possession that much more valuable,” Johnson said Thursday before practice. “We’ve just got to be mindful of that and make sure we’re making the most of the opportunities.”
The last two games, losses to the 49ers and Lions, illustrated the importance of maintaining possession.
When the 49ers got hot and that game turned into a shootout, the Bears could’ve quieted them by sustaining drives. Even with that being one of their better all-around offensive performances, all but three of their possessions lasted two and a half minutes or fewer.
They trailed 16-0 at halftime against the Lions, and trailed 19:12 to 10:48 in time of possession.
That statistic doesn’t determine everything — no complaints about a one-play touchdown drive — but it weighs heavily when a defense is struggling.
The Bears have allowed more points and yards than any playoff team. The defensive line hasn’t been consistent stopping the run or generating a pass rush. Cornerbacks Jaylon Johnson and Kyler Gordon aren’t 100% healthy, and fellow corner Nahshon Wright has been up and down. The less time that group is on the field, the better the Bears’ chances.
Swift and Monangai each averaged 4.7 yards per carry against the Packers, who have the fifth-worst run defense among playoff teams. That’s the starting point as the Bears try to formulate a winning equation this week.
“It can help a lot, especially staying efficient on early downs,” Swift said.
This has been one of the best seasons of Swift’s career. He finished 12th in yards (1,087), 11th in touchdowns (nine) and 12th in yards per carry (4.9). His new approach of hitting the hole quickly and then looking to make defenders miss made him a reliable runner, minimizing lost yardage, and he still had a career-high 29 runs of 10 or more yards.
Monangai was a nice complement and ran for 783 yards and five touchdowns.
Not only are the Packers’ season numbers shaky against the run, but they’ve struggled a lot lately. They allowed an average of 164.2 yards rushing over the final five games of the regular season.
As the Bears look for a way to exploit the Packers’ weaknesses and cover up their own, that’s the answer.