Bear Digest

The Support Bears See for Caleb Williams Beyond His Receivers

Their explosive receiver group aside, the Bears see rookie QB Caleb Williams properly supported in several ways starting with the ground attack.

Gene Chamberlain

D'Andre Swift, the running backs and the offensive line proved in preseason they can support rookie QB Caleb Williams.
D'Andre Swift, the running backs and the offensive line proved in preseason they can support rookie QB Caleb Williams. / Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports
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The forgotten pillar of support for Caleb Williams could very well be the basis for their offense over the past two seasons.

It's just going to look different without the quarterback challenging 1,000 yards rushing in this Shane Waldron offense.

Williams' receiver help has been given all the attention and even their changing faces on the offensive line in training camp have been examined more closely than the running backs. But it's the running game where Williams could get the most support.

D'Andre Swift is a player whose impact might be greatly underrated and so, too, are the other backs. This is easy to do when the running game gets so few chances to prove itself in preseason and in practices.

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"Early on, yes, it definitely could be, making sure we stay on track for the offense, first and foremost," running back D'Andre Swift said. "Don't wanna be in no third-and-longs or second-and-longs—it'd make it kinda hard on Shane and Caleb. As much as we can help on offense collectively to make it easier on the quarterback, we're looking to do so."

It hardly seems they know this based on practices in training camp. Live hitting is not the way they do things, although they do "thud up," allowing backs to make contact without bringing them to the ground.

Swift thinks this was enough.

"The work that we get when pads come on, especially being in camp—it's been a long camp, a good one," Swift said. "Just the work the defense gives us, that type of thing. When we get the pads on, it's not live to the ground, but guys are practicing full speed, full tempo with the thud on the ballcarrier.

"Just the work that we get in practice kinda shows me how it'll be on Sundays."

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It's not so much a matter of the backs but the blocking. The backs look capable whether it's been running or receiving, and they all appear healthy now with Roschon Johnson getting over a minor injury.


"D'Andre's looked really good during this offseason," coach Matt Eberflus said. "Obviously as you (media) know he's really quick, he's a weapon out of the backfield, which is outstanding for our passing game and it's going to create some mismatches for us.

"He can do a lot of things from the backfield, we can split him out wide and run the full route tree, so he's exciting to watch."

Getting the blocking to work for the ground game could have been an issue all preseason due to injuries with the first team line. It hasn't been a problem, whether they had the starters or backup line on the field. They averaged 4.7 yards per carry, 1.2 yards per carry more than opponents. Only once since Lovie Smith's first season of 2004 have the Bears averaged more than 4.7 yards per run in preseason, and that was in 2021 when they had the benefit of 92 yards on 11 runs by Justin Fields.

So, without the runner at QB, their running in preseason was well above average.

It doesn't seem they're overly worried about needing to change around linemen to different starters due to injuries during the season, like in the last two years because of the line depth.

"This is probably the best depth I've ever had," GM Ryan Poles said. "I actually let one of the guys go on cut downs and I was like, 'man, you did an excellent job. I wish we could keep you here.' He said, 'this is the deepest (O-line) room I've ever been a part of.' So we have more versatility, more depth.

"Shoot, we have 10 guys, so I feel comfortable. Obviously, you want your starting five to be healthy and ready to go, but I feel more confident in the depth of our offensive line than I ever have before."

From what he's seen, Swift doubts moving them around will impact the run negatively.

"Real comfortable. C-Mo (line coach Chris Morgan) does a great job with them guys," Swift said. "You can interchange them however you want to.

"Next man mentality if it has to be that, but I'm real comfortable with everybody in that room. Everybody works hard every single day, so I'm real confident in that group."

Coach Matt Eberflus still sees supporting the offense, and Williams as critical.

"It's going to be big that our offensive line plays well, like I've said in the past, and everybody plays well around them, that’s defense and special teams included," Eberflus said.

If they can block the run, it definitely can't hurt.

Twitter: BearsOnSI

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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.