3. The Chicago Bears should be using DeAndre Swift in the passing game
When the Chicago Bears hardly played DeAndre Swift in the preseason the thought was that they had big plans for him and could not risk him being injured. He played just a few snaps with Caleb Williams in the summer and ripped off a 43-yard reception on one of those plays. He looked electric. This had to be what the Bears were ready to unleash, right? Wrong, Swift had zero catches in week one.
He was the clear-cut starting running back, so part of the theory explaining why they saved him in the preseason adds up. Still, no impact in the passing game is surprising, especially in the first start of a rookie quarterback career.
Screens, check downs, and quick angle routes to the running back are like free throws in the NBA. They are quick plays that get a shooter to see the ball go through the net. They build confidence and you can work the downfield passing game off of this. That appeared to be what Swift was brought in for.
Some of this on Williams, who has a knack for pushing the ball down the field rather than taking a simple four-yard completion. Still, a lot of this is on the play-calling, which can simply dial a pass-up for a quick Swift completion. This is something that has to happen soon.