When the Bears’ Ben Johnson thinks about his coaching identity, his mind goes straight to the running game.
Even as a former quarterback, it’s not about the layered route concepts that scheme a wide receiver stunningly open or the ingenuity that leads to trick plays like the Stumblebum he unleashed on the Bears as Lions offensive coordinator a couple years ago. Johnson thinks, instead, of his high school team in Asheville, N.C., calling the same running play 10 times in a row because the opponent simply couldn’t stop it.
“Everyone knows what we’re doing, and we were just, ‘Boom, boom, boom,’” he told the Sun-Times in an interview in training camp. “It was hardnosed, mountain football in North Carolina, and that is my backbone.”
It shouldn’t have been surprising, then, that the Bears went from one of the NFL’s worst rushing teams the season before his arrival to one of its best in his debut season. So no matter who starts at quarterback Monday against the Eagles, expect Johnson to rely on running backs D’Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai.
Those two pounded the Eagles for 125 and 130 yards, respectively, and each had a touchdown in the Bears’ 24-15 win late last season, and their contributions will be even more important Monday without starting quarterback Caleb Williams. The Bears are deciding between Case Keenum and Tyson Bagent, neither of whom has started a game since 2023.
But regardless of the quarterback situation, the ground is the most prudent way to attack the Eagles and venerable defensive coordinator Vic Fangio anyway. They were 22nd against the run last season and allowed 254 yards rushing to the Titans and Commanders over their first two games.
When Johnson had his full arsenal of players available and guided the Bears to 59 points in their opener against the Panthers, the rushing attack still led the way. The Bears averaged 7.5 yards per carry, both backs topped 100 yards and Swift won NFC offensive player of the week with three touchdowns.
Then everything on offense nosedived against the Vikings as Swift and Monangai each finished under 50 yards rushing and the Bears fell 9-3 with Williams exiting because of a hamstring injury.
“I missed a couple out there,” Swift said. “Another opportunity to make it right.”
Both running backs have taken an unusually high amount of wear and tear early in the season, and Monangai has practiced through a knee injury leading up to the Eagles game. He also has dealt with a hamstring issue in the past few weeks, and Swift has been working through knee and ankle injuries.
“I felt 100% going into camp — that’s probably the last day you’re 100%,” Swift said with a laugh.
It’s an ideal week for Johnson to utilize more formations with three tight ends, which he’s been planning but didn’t use much against the Panthers or Vikings. That look forces defenses into tough decisions because, unlike sending out an extra tackle for heavy formations, all three tight ends have to be respected as wide receivers.
If Fangio loads up his defensive front to treat them like linemen, the Bears can exploit it by pivoting to a pass play and those players will have trouble keeping up in coverage. If he keeps defensive backs in to guard against a pass, the Bears have a major muscle advantage up front to run.
Johnson’s pass plays tend to get more attention, but his teams have always been run-dominant. The Bears averaged 4.9 yards per carry last season, which was third in the NFL, and while five-yard gains don’t necessarily stand out, they add up quickly. They also keep the clock running, and as the Bears navigate the disadvantage of playing without Williams, slow and steady might be the best course.