D’Andre Swift delivered exactly what coaches wanted to see vs. Chiefs giving the team a needed confidence boost in a banged up backfield
Swift might have to carry a lot of the load early in the season.
The Chicago Bears’ preseason finale against the Kansas City Chiefs was a forgettable outing for the first-team offense but one player played well enough to earn some praise from the coaching staff.
Running back D’Andre Swift got his first taste of preseason action and played 20 total offensive snaps while flashing some highlight-worthy plays such as a hurdle on the sideline after catching a pass from Caleb Williams out of the backfield.
“He is hitting it hard. He is decisive,” Johnson said after the game. “I see him turn on the gas when he sees a little crease. He is dynamic and he is explosive. You feel that. He showed that again.”
Beyond being decisive, dynamic, and explosive, Swift also showed the one thing the coaches were looking to see out of his game to prove he has what it takes to be a lead back for this offense.
“What I appreciated on 3rd-and-1, you could see him see a little bit and then turn on the gas and put his shoulders down to get us a first down,” Johnson added. “Those are areas we will continue to harness out of him.”
Picking up short-yards and lowering his shoulder was something missing in Swift’s game last season and something the new staff wanted to challenge him to improve on. The other thing was running with consistency, and his 4.0 yards per carry was close enough to the mark the team wants to see.
Confidence in Swift is key amid all the RB injuries
Friday’s action against the Chiefs was the first time we’ve seen Swift on the field after sitting out the first two preseason games. It was good to see him work with the starters and run behind the revamped offensive line, but the Bears were forced to play Swift in that game.
Roschon Johnson, Kyle Monangai, Ian Wheeler, Deion Hankins, and Travis Homer were all held out of Friday’s preseason finale for various reasons, majority of which was due to injuries.
That, of course, makes for some tough decisions for the staff when it comes down to who makes the initial 53-man roster, who gets cut, and who could even start the season on the injured reserve.
After the game, Johnson didn’t provide any insight into how the backfield is looking amid all these injuries outside of the praise for Swift. Which makes those comments even more meaningful because if the Bears are forced to overwork Swift early in the season, at least the coaches trust him.
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