Bears RB D'Andre Swift and OC Shane Waldron appear to be improving

LAKE FOREST, Ill. – Three games into his tenure with the Chicago Bears, offensive coordinator Shane Waldron met with the team's leadership council following a 21-16 loss to the Indianapolis Colts that raised concerns about the state of the offense.

After the meeting, Waldron praised quarterback Caleb Williams, tight end Cole Kmet, wide receiver DJ Moore and tight end Marcedes Lewis – all four captains – for their honesty, feedback and commitment to solving the problems within a unit that averages the worst A league-leading 3.7 yards per play.

Lewis, a 19-year veteran who will set an NFL record for most games played by a tight end on Sunday against the Los Angeles Rams (1 p.m. ET, Fox), delivered a powerful and direct message to the Bears' playcaller.

“From the oldest person in the room – which is me – to the youngest (22-year-old Williams), you don’t feel like you can’t coach us,” Lewis said. “I want to be trained. I want to be great. …This is not for gaming. That's our job. We understand that. It's a stressful, production-based business and we all have to do the same, otherwise ego will be left at the door. He is very receptive to it.

“Sometimes as a coach you might be walking on eggshells. I just put that to bed. Nobody is sensitive in here. We want to win games as much as you do. It is a joint effort. That’s not pop.” Warner.

Waldron took responsibility for the specifics of the loss to the Colts and during a 1-2 start with three offensive touchdowns that was a four-team league worst.

Almost immediately, the offensive coordinator addressed Chicago's ill-fated goal-line streak against the Colts, which included four straight runs inside the 4-yard line and ended with a turnover on downs.

“I have to get better in this situation, and I’m going to keep going,” Waldron said.

The team took too long to line up on fourth-and-goal on the speed option play, which resulted in a turnover on downs. Waldron said it starts with him.

The Bears' running game's struggles continue to grow. Chicago ranks 31st with 72.7 yards per game and 3.03 yards per attempt. Only the Las Vegas Raiders (51 YPG and 2.8 YPA) are worse in both categories.

Waldron revealed that Chicago's plan for the Colts game was to bring in running back Khalil Herbert (5-foot-10, 200 pounds) to give the team a pass over Rosschon Johnson (6-0, 225).

But the key to the running game has always been Pro Bowl player D'Andre Swift. Just minutes after the NFL's free agency negotiation window opened in March, the Bears made a big splash by signing Swift to a three-year, $24 million deal.

“We wanted a home run threat, a weapon that could do a lot of things, not just on first down in the run game where he could hit a home run, but also in the passing game,” coach Matt Eberflus said before Week 1.

Chicago led the league in rushing in 2022 and ranked second last season, thanks in no small part to quarterback Justin Fields, who scored 1,143 points in 2022 and 657 points last year. But the Bears traded Fields to the Pittsburgh Steelers to make room for Williams, and the signing of Swift signaled a shift in the philosophy of how the Bears would generate their rushing offense.

Chicago expected him to make significant contributions in the passing game, where he was among the top five running backs in catches (62) and receiving yards (452) just three years ago in Detroit.

Through three games, Swift has totaled 68 rushing yards on 37 attempts and 1.8 yards per carry. His ten passing targets resulted in six catches for 46 yards.

Swift was ejected from the game for a 12-yard loss on a four-and-goal speed option play in Indianapolis. He then apologized to the defense for himself and the crime.

“He's not entirely happy about not getting yards, but he's not going to sulk about it,” Bears running backs coach Chad Morton said. “He won’t be angry and let his mood affect everyone else.”

“He is a professional. He will continue to work and do his best to get better. I’m not worried about him at all.”

Eberflus said Bears coaches met with Swift earlier this week to discuss how he could improve. He also suggested that Chicago would experiment with different personnel in the run game.

“The scheme has to be right for each runner,” said Eberflus. “I just think it hits everyone. It’s not just him.”

A solution to the running game against the Rams could be more snaps for Johnson, who had a team-high 30 rushing yards in Indianapolis. Johnson had three third-down conversions against the Colts and a crucial fourth-and-1 conversion that started the goal-line series.

“I think I bring a physical style, but also a style that makes one or the other go wrong in subtle ways,” Johnson said. “Nothing really flashy, but something really physical, downhill, someone who can make the right decisions.”

Against a Rams defense that ranks 32nd in yards allowed and 31st in scoring, the opportunity for Waldron and the Bears to properly utilize the team's running backs could give the offense a breakthrough at a critical time.

“There was lightning,” Waldron said. “We did a great job in our practice reps, we did a great job in our preseason reps, but the reality is we haven't played up to our standards in the game right now. For us, it comes down to this. We repeat them with these people.

“The players did a great job and expressed full ownership of their role and responsibility on every play. As we go along, we have to keep getting better every week, keep improving, especially in the run game.”