Bears RB D'Andre Swift's Usage Against Packers Raises More Questions

The Chicago Bears entered the second half of the Week 5 matchup against the Green Bay Packers down 14-7 at Lambeau Field. Bears running back D'Andre Swift carried the ball eight times for 35 yards, including a 1-yard touchdown run, in the first half. 

Green Bay got the ball first to start the third quarter and scored a touchdown on a 4-play, 72-yard that ended with a 53-yard touchdown pass from Packers quarterback Jordan Love to wide receiver Christian Watson. 

Now down 20-7 with 13:04 remaining in the the third quarter, Swift started the Bears' drive with an 8-yard run. That was Swift's last carry of the game in what ended up being a 31-7 blowout loss. He finished the game with nine rushing attempts for 43 yards and a touchdown. 

The Bears' first possession in the third quarter ended with Cairo Santos missing a 43-yard field goal, but the Bears' defense made a stop, forcing a punt. Instead of continuing to let Swift run the football, the offensive game plan featured runs to the perimeter with the Bears' receivers and Roschon Johnson, who stepped up in place of an injured Kyle Monangai. 

Swift started the practice week leading up to the Packers game with hip and knee injury and didn't practice Wednesday. He was limited on Thursday and full participant in Friday's practice and had no injury designation. 

Bears head coach Ben Johnson was asked on Wednesday if Swift was dealing with another injury and that's why he didn't get much of a workload in the second half. 

“Well, we're not going to have a back that's going to take 50-plus snaps in a game," Johnson said. "I think that's just not prudent in a 17-game season to wear guys down like that. We don't have that 240, 250-pound back on this roster. We believe in running back by committee and spreading out those carries. Feel good about the guys up front being able to move the line of scrimmage enough to give all those guys chances. So, no, I don't think there's any discrepancy in terms of the play count or anything like that. We just know we want to spread that load out.”

That answer makes sense, especially with the team already down a key part in the offense with Monangai. But Swift finished the game with 40 offensive snaps. The only game he had less snaps was against the New York Jets (33), and his fumble in the third quarter played a major factor in him sitting for the remainder in the second half. 

Swift didn't need to play 50-plus snaps, but having more than one run in the final two quarters may have made a small difference for the Bears' offense. 

With 6:14 left in the third quarter, the Bears were still down 13 points. On a third-and-1 from Chicago's 22-yard line, Roschon got a carry and lost two yards, and the Bears were forced to punt. The Packers scored a field goal on the next possession. Green Bay intercepted quarterback Tyson Bagent for the second time and capitalized on the turnover with a 3-play, 55-yard touchdown drive. 

At that point, the Bears were down 31-7, making the run obsolete. 

Johnson's answer about Swift's usage raised more questions than answers, but the Bears will need Swift this Sunday in the Week 6 matchup against an Atlanta Falcons defense that has allowed the fifth-fewest rushing yards in the NFL.