Bears RB D'Andre Swift responds to some of the criticism he faced during the tough start to the regular season
The first three weeks of the season was tough sledding for Chicago Bears' starting running back D'Andre Swift.During that time, the Bears running game struggled to get anything going on the ground behind a leaky offensive line and many fingers pointed at Swift.Behind the scenes, the offense worked to get the run game, and Swift, […]
The first three weeks of the season was tough sledding for Chicago Bears' starting running back D'Andre Swift.
During that time, the Bears running game struggled to get anything going on the ground behind a leaky offensive line and many fingers pointed at Swift.
Behind the scenes, the offense worked to get the run game, and Swift, figured out and the unit was finally able to find a spark in Week 4 against the Los Angeles Rams.
The D'Andre Swift Breakout Game finally arrived when the Bears' top back rushed for 72 yards on seven carries, including a 36-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter. No one seemed more happy to prove the doubters wrong than Swift himself.
"I'd be lying if I told you I didn't read or see anything," Swift said on Friday while appearing on NFL Network's Good Morning Football. "I have a phone, so it's hard to kinda not see anything or hear anything. But I just go to work every single day with the mentality of getting better. It ain't going to rain forever, that's kinda my mentality."
During the first three weeks of the season, Swift rushed for just 1.84 yards per carry. But, it wasn't just Swift's fault for why the unit struggled to find success on the ground. The entire operation needed some kind of fix and it turned out to be a simple one.
“The runners did a really good job of running downhill,” head coach Matt Eberflus said this week. “The types of runs were a little bit different. They were a little bit more downhill-type runs. The perimeter blocking was good. The reason you make those explosive plays is the perimeter blocking is there as well. It takes all 11 of the guys to get that done. The detail was really good.”
When the big play finally broke loose late in the game against the Rams, it was a true statement from Swift and the protection up-front. On the play, everything worked out perfectly in terms of the operation, then it was all up to Swift to finish it off.
“You see a guy with breakaway speed like that and I make the cut block and he’s able to jump over him a little bit as he’s falling down and then I just saw the seas part and him take off," tight end Cole Kmet explained. "You knew he was gone. D’Andre has good home run speed there. That was good to see.”
It was great to see Swift finally respond in a big way to all the harsh and negative comments floating around. He and the rest of the run game will be looking to build off the big performance against the Carolina Panthers defense that's allowed the fourth-most rushing yards in the league entering Week 5.
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