In the early goings of this season, the Chicago Bears have had plenty for fans to like. Head coach Ben Johnson is changing the culture. Quarterback Caleb Williams is taking positive steps, and thanks to a breakout from budding star wide receiver Rome Odunze, things are looking up.
One area that has fans pulling their hair out, though, is the run game. Chicago ranks 24th in the NFL through four weeks and they don't appear to have a solution in sight.
Former Bears running back Matt Forte shared some insight with me recently and, of course, we touched on the run game. One of the first things Forte had to say, when it came to the ground game in its current state, was more of a question than anything.
"How does he (Johnson) change the running game to be impactful and to help him (Williams)?" he asked.
Matt Forte pointed out a huge issue currently holding the Bears' offense back
"An impactful running game is always going to help a veteran or a rookie quarterback. It's going to put more guys in the box," Forte noted. "It will make defenses declare their looks earlier, where you know what coverage they're in."
It is no surprise to hear this type of sentiment from the Bears' second all-time leading rusher. As a running back who was so efficient during his days in Chicago, Forte knows the game well. He has also played with some exceptional defensive players from the likes of Brian Urlacher to Charles Tillman, among many others.
Johnson has yet to really figure out how to get the ground game going, and the lack of talent in the running back room is certainly a reason why. D'Andre Swift is known to be fantastic in space, but without near-perfect blocking, he is less than ideal in this offense.
Kyle Monangai has looked fine, but the training camp hype has died down right about now. Additionally, Roschon Johnson hasn't been given an opportunity.
We're not sure what Johnson is doing, nor what his plan is, but like Forte said, once it gets going, that aspect will only help Williams and the passing game that much more. The Bears are still adjusting to a new scheme on both sides of the ball, but as they continue to gel, hopefully, we will see the ground game finally start to flourish.
Read more: Maxx Crosby says what all Bears fans already knew about Caleb Williams
Thank you to Matt Forte for taking the time and appearing on behalf of Chase for Business.