The Chicago Bears were averaging 74 yards per carry before the bye week. Their run game was stuck in the mud, unable to find a rhythm or any sense of identity. Head coach Ben Johnson made it clear that his mission during the break was to identify the problem. He succeeded. In the two games since the bye, Chicago is averaging 183 yards per carry. That is more than double what they were producing just a few weeks ago. It is one of the most insane in-season turnarounds the Bears have pulled off in at least a decade.
Multiple factors went into this. It started by replacing left tackle Braxton Jones with Theo Benedet. His power and tenacity have made an immediate impact on the ground. Next was a shift in philosophy. The Bears have made a greater emphasis on attacking the edges, using the athleticism of their line to full effect. Stacey Dales of NFL Network found out something else Johnson did. He used a somewhat novel way of watching film to determine how physical the line was being. It goes a long way in explaining the Bears' ability to suddenly dominate the line of scrimmage.
Ben Johnson continues to push a mindset for the Bears.
One of the constant complaints about Matt Eberflus during his time as head coach was the lack of an identity on offense. People never knew what he wanted this team to be. It felt like Eberflus didn't either. He was almost content going with whatever work, not understanding that this isn't how top offenses function. Every group has something it expects to do well. For some, it's running the ball. For others, it's passing. Ben Johnson has made it crystal clear from the beginning that he expects to control the game on the ground. That isn't something the Bears had done in a long time. It seems to have taken a few weeks for players to fully grasp the mentality he wants. Once it finally clicked, everything fell into place.
The first step in running the ball effectively is the physicality of the offensive line. Once Johnson had a good understanding of where things were, he made adjustments. Each of the past two opponents got 60 minutes of that abuse. Don't expect it to let up.
