Why the Chicago Bears aren't worried about the recent running game struggles

DJ Pharris predicts Bears fourth-quarter comeback win vs. Rams | ChicagoLIVE

DJ Pharris predicts another fourth-quarter comeback as the Bears prepare to face the Rams. He also talks about how the city has embraced his rallying cry, “It’s Chicago,” and how the phrase has energized players and fans alike.

The numbers speak for themselves a bit.

The Chicago Bears were grinding teams into the ground in the middle of the season. The D’Andre Swift-Kyle Monangai duo was a successful one-two punch that showed how deep and versatile the Bears’ running back room is.

Still, it’s hard to ignore the recent games. 

The Bears watched their yards per carry average dip from 5.8 yards per rush against the Packers in Week 16 to 3.3 yards per carry in last weekend’s Wild Card game against Green Bay.

It’s hard to ignore the dip in the running game. Unless, of course, you’re Bears running backs coach Eric Bieniemy.

"Numbers don't matter," Bieniemy said with a laugh.

The Bears understand they need more from their running game. When that part of the offense moves, the passing game follows suit and so many different options stem from that.

However, they didn’t show much worry Thursday as they continued prep for the Rams.

What they're saying:

Starting from the top, the Bears understand there were a few reasons why they didn’t run the ball well in the Wild Card round.

First and foremost, they were deep in a rut. Down 21-6 in the fourth quarter, the Bears didn’t have much choice but to throw the football. Second, they played a Packers team that was familiar with the Bears.

"Playing a team three times is tough in itself," Swift said on Wednesday. "They did a lot of things defensively to kind of put us in a bind."

Bears offensive line coach Dan Roushar credited the Packers’ defense with holding the Bears to under 100 yards rushing as a team. But, he also said the playoffs bring a different level of difficulty.

He noted how the Bears have plenty on their own plate to correct, too.

"When you kind of step back and you look at the big picture, we mistargeted a few things," Roushar said. "We didn't sustain as well as we need to."

The Bears will get a Rams team this weekend that has a strong defensive front. But, they haven’t seen the Bears’ running game yet. The Packers saw the Bears three times in one month.

Roushar said the Bears haven’t run the ball well in a few weeks. Particularly against Detroit, the Bears struggled with the Lions’ front seven. But, this is the playoffs. The Bears got through one playoff game with rushing struggles.

Swift said he was thankful the Bears got through an inefficient game against Green Bay so the team can focus on the parts of the running game that weren’t working.

"You need to be efficient in the running game," Swift said. "When you're not efficient coming out of it, you always look at different ways – it's good that we got the win so we can correct those things this week. We’ve got to get back on track."

Big picture view:

It’s critical to remember that Bieniemy isn’t worried.

The running backs coach is not concerned the running game has seen its lowest yards per carry average since week 3. A reason why is because there’s more to the running back position than just running the rock.

"I'm not measuring guys by what they're doing when the ball is in their hands," Bieniemy said. "I wanna know how we're gonna make an impact when the ball is not their hands. It's very important 'cause obviously this game is one of the greatest team games that there is."

Bieniemy stressed he liked how Swift and Monangai played in pass protection when the game called for the Bears to throw more.

There was one rep where Monangai had a mix-up, but Bieniemy liked how the two played in the passing game. Especially Swift, where he had a key touchdown run and multiple receptions in "gotta-have-it" moments.

The Bears aren’t worried because they’re able to look the running game issues in the face and correct them. Bieniemy isn’t worried because his running backs are performing at a high level in other facets of the game, and the Bears are winning thanks to those performances.

"We love the numbers and love the 200 to 300 yards rushing (days), of course," Bieniemy said. "But, when it's all said and done with, you got to make the most of those opportunities when those moments define itself."