Bear Digest

Running Roschon Johnson More Can't Hurt Anemic Bears Offense

Analysis: The Bears essentially dismantled one of the league's top two running attacks and what they have now is failure, so giving their second-year power back more carries is only logical.

Gene Chamberlain

Roschon Johnson powers ahead against the Colts on one of his eight carries. There is a report they'll utilize him more now.
Roschon Johnson powers ahead against the Colts on one of his eight carries. There is a report they'll utilize him more now. / Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images
In this story:

Roschon Johnson waited and now it's his time with the Bears running game in desperation.

According to a report by ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, the Bears will give Johnson an "extended look," in the game Sunday against the Rams.

What exactly comprises "extended look" isn't known but they do need to commit to the run more. The Bears won't win games with 52 pass attempts often. No one does. But committing to the run is only easy if you run it effectively and they haven't.

They did run the ball enough last week, though. They just didn't produce when they did it.

Johnson's 30 yards on eight carries was the best they did and stood out because it was so much better than what everyone else did.

It was his season's debut after a training camp toe injury was lingering, and also  because they started the season testing out their new Velus Jones Jr. option in the backfield, or relying on Travis Homer, who knew coordinator Shane Waldron's offense from Seattle.

"I mean, yeah, obviously reps matter," Johnson said. "They definitely make a difference. But like I said, being put down from the preseason kind of early definitely (I) took a hit.

"But I mean, I'm rolling now and I’m good to go."

Johnson didn't get down about being sidelined to start.

"I always want to be on the field, but, whether it's me or another back, I'm not gonna sit over there and pout," Johnson said. "So as long as we get the job done, I'm fine."

MATT EBERFLUS' COACHING SKILLS SEVERELY TESTED ONLY THREE WEEKS IN

BEARS LOOK TO IMPROVE ALL ASPECTS OF OFFENSE WITH KEY TARGET BACK

PRYOR NOTICE NOT REQUIRED FOR THIS BEARS LINEMAN TO BE READY

DARNELL WRIGHT SITS WHILE KEENAN ALLEN RETURNS TO PRACTICE

It can't hurt trying a back with a good attitude and more power instead of relying solely on the speed option. Johnson isn't entirely about power, though.

"I think I bring a physical style, but also a style that can make one or two miss in a subtle way," Johnson said. "Nothing really too flashy, but something that's real physical, downhill, someone that can make the right decisions."

Part of the problem with going to a power back is more of the success needs to come up front, and the Bears offensive line has yet to hit on a successful group blocking the run or pass. They keep changing lineups because of injuries, and will again this week. It might even include backup Kiran Amegadjie at right tackle for injured Darnell Wright.

The blocking will matter.

When Waldron took over and the Bears no longer had Justin Fields to occupy the attention of defenders on RPO plays, the running backs suddenly had the full attention of tacklers. They needed to  successfully execute running plays perfectly without the deodorizer Fields' runs became as defenses had to be afraid of someone else besides the running back who could take it all the way.

The blocking was going need to be more precise, just like the backs' decisions on holes and when or where to cut.

There also was discussion that they might go toward more of a gap blocking scheme instead of a wide zone scheme because Rams coach Sean McVay has steered his offense in this direction over time, one of the ways the Rams are different than the Mike/Kyle Shanahan offense that spawned all of these wide zone style West Coast attacks. And Waldron had come from McVay's system.

This has not been the case, though.

Pro Football Focus tracks whether teams are using gap or zone blocking and the Bears have come in at throwing zone blocks slightly under two-thirds of the time. It's exactly the same percentage they did all last season. At season's end last year, PFF tracked the Bears gap scheme at 1,690 blocks and zone scheme at 2,612 blocks, a .393 percentage for gap blocks. This year it's 340 blocks in zone and 220 in gap. That's still .393, or exactly the same for gap blocks.

The switch in QBs and the switch in running backs themselves, to Swift as starter, seem to have meant more.

Considering all of the change, it looks to be more a matter of getting the line playing together, blocking more effectively and the backs being in synch with what the line is doing.

It's going to take time, just like a passing attack needs the receivers and quarterback to be in sync. After all, they don't do contact run blocking work in training camp and starters don't get enough playing time in preseason for any team to be totally satisfied they're ready on opening day.

"I mean, it really just matters how we block it up," Johnson said. "It really doesn’t matter if it's inside zone, wide zone, duo, gap scheme, whatever the case might be.

"It's really just how we execute it. Sometimes we may execute it how it should be and it'll be a good result, but sometimes we won't. So I mean, it's really just up to us and execution."

For the backs, it shouldn't be anything complicated according to Johnson.

"We really have to stay true to our reads, don't do anything outside of what we're taught, don't get outside of our technique, and really just keep knocking it forward and eventually stuff will pop as the game goes along," Johnson said.

It's time they get serious about executing running plays and do it according to the book. Keeping it simple from a back's standpoint with a power guy going straight ahead can't hurt for now.

Twitter: BearsOnSI

Published
Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

BearDigest.com publisher Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.