D’Andre Swift did not win the NFC’s Offensive Player of the Week award for his performance in the Chicago Bears’ win against the Washington Commanders on Monday Night Football. That honor went to Atlanta Falcons running back Bijan Robinson. But it’s not as if Swift didn’t have a noble case. Swift racked up 108 rushing yards on 14 carries (7.7 yards per rush!), added 67 receiving yards on two catches, and scored the touchdown that put Chicago’s football team on the comeback trail. Robinson (25 touches, 238 scrimmage yards) eclipsed Swift’s numbers, so it’s not as if his award wasn’t well-earned. And it certainly will not stop me from acknowledging and celebrating Swift’s best game since joining the Bears.
D’Andre Swift’s statement game begins in the trenches
As one might expect, a running back’s great night begins with strong offensive line play. That was the case for D’Andre Swift and the Bears on Monday Night Football. And, as you have expected, Chicago’s two best offensive linemen were the key cogs in the ground game’s primetime success. Left guard Joe Thuney earned a 75.5 initial grade from Pro Football Focus. Bears right tackle Darnell Wright played his way into earning a 74.8 grade. Whether you go through a full rewatch or mine through some clips online, a common thread you’ll find is that Swift had a ton of success running behind Wright on the right side and Thuney on the left.
Oct 13, 2025; Landover, Maryland, USA; Chicago Bears running back D’Andre Swift (4) runs with the ball against the Washington Commanders during the first half at Northwest Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn ImagesCHICAGO BEARS OFFENSIVE LINE PROGRESS REPORT HEADING INTO WEEK 7
After ranking in the bottom third of the Pro Football Focus power rankings heading into Week 2, the Bears’ offensive line is climbing up the leaderboard. The group that ranked 22nd heading into Week 2 after falling 18 spots from the season-opening ranking now checks in at No. 16. That is a move up seven spots from the team’s previous ranking. Here is the explanation from PFF’s Zoltán Buday:
The Bears’ offensive line put together an encouraging performance in pass protection against the Commanders’ pass rush. The unit gave up only seven pressures, with no sacks or quarterback hits, leading to an 89.4 PFF pass-blocking efficiency rating (eighth best).
Yes, I realize this is a post focused on the exploits of D’Andre Swift and what is looking like a much-improved run game. But there is no harm in acknowledging the improved pass protection. The way I see it, the run-blocking and pass-protection elements work hand-in-hand. That both are trending in the right direction means that the two can play off one another, which is good news for Bears Head Coach Ben Johnson — and bad news for opposing defenses.
Ben Johnson’s role in getting D’Andre Swift going
Speaking of Ben Johnson, Patrick made a strong point during The BN Bears Podcast when he pointed out how much success D’Andre Swift had running in 11 personnel. And it makes sense, too, if you sit down and think about it.
Johnson sending Swift to run behind 11 personnel (3 receivers, 1 running back) usually means that defenses counter with a package that subs out a linebacker to put in a defensive back. With Bears receivers being willing blockers in the open field, it allowed Swift to attack a lighter box that is spread out with a more downhill running style that lets him hit the holes and get to the second level. We saw a whole lot of that on MNF. And I hope we see more of it in the coming weeks.
This is a strong example (h/t Mike Golic Jr. on Twitter/X) of what it looks like when D’Andre Swift runs out of 11 personnel and behind the aforementioned Darnell Wright:
Darnell Wright with a game clinching 2 for 1 on this toss. sometimes you just gotta be a football player. if he had *just* noticed the end working around the down block and sealed that, it would have been a really heads up play. this is excellent. pic.twitter.com/ZrHriYS5JZ
— Mike Golic Jr (@mikegolicjr) October 14, 2025A key piece of that aspect is DJ Moore, who owns PFF’s 50th-best run-blocking grade among the 126 wide receivers who have played enough snaps to qualify for the leaderboard. To see Moore grade out in the top half of run-blocking receivers is a testament to his willingness to get his hands dirty. It also speaks volumes about how seriously Bears players seem to have taken their head coach’s “no block, no rock” mantra. Moore is dealing with a groin injury, and I hope he gets healthy soon because he is clearly a key piece of this ground attack.
The other area in which Ben Johnson aided in D’Andre Swift’s big game is how he used the ball carriers at his disposal. Much has been made (and rightfully so!) about how the front office hasn’t done a good job pairing Swift with a back who complements his style. That blunder has led to some clunky-looking running games over the last two years. However, the head coach is trying to make chicken salad out of chicken scratch by deploying a wave of different ball-carriers. Six players (including Swift) had at least one carry on MNF. Swift had the most carries (14), but that made up only 51.9 percent of the rush attempts in that game.
Swift stuns in dual-threat role
Last, but certainly not least, D’Andre Swift deserves a ton of credit for D’Andre Swift’s breakout game. Swift ran decisively and with an edge.
He spotted holes, accelerated as he hit them, and powered through defenders. It was as aesthetically pleasing to watch as it was productive. Swift’s breakthrough performance might have come as a surprise to some Bears fans, but it made sense to me — especially after seeing his cameo in the post-game Ben Johnson hype speech video that dropped after Chicago’s win on Monday Night Football. You can tell that Swift takes pride in his work and probably took personally whatever public criticism he heard heading into this game. And like any quality athlete, he used it to fuel what turned out to be a whale of a game.
Oct 13, 2025; Landover, Maryland, USA; Chicago Bears running back D’Andre Swift (4) scores a touchdown during the fourth quarter against the Washington Commanders at Northwest Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-Imagn ImagesWith that being said, I want more from D’Andre Swift. And I think he can get it. To be clear, it won’t be easy. Sure, the Bears play host to the 1-5 New Orleans Saints on Sunday. That record gives you hope that Chicago’s football team can get up early and salt the game away with its new-look ground attack. But this Saints team ranks in the middle of the pack (17th) in rushing yards allowed, has allowed the ninth-fewest rushing scores, and has limited opposing ball-carriers to the seventh-lowest yards per carry average. However, those numbers shouldn’t dissuade giving Swift touches.
In the end, I look forward to seeing what D’Andre Swift does for an encore on Sunday. It took a village for Swift to strike gold against the Commanders. And it might take a similar effort to get a second consecutive strong outing by Swift in Week 7.
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