The Chicago Bears are now 0-2 after falling to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 27-17. The Bears are headed in the wrong direction. Matt Eberflus and Luke Getsy need to make changes and fast.
One easy change is to get the football in the hands of your best playmakers. Right now, the Bears; best playmakers are DJ Moore, Justin Fields, and Darnell Mooney. On Sunday, Moore had six receptions for 104 yards and a long of 33 yards. Fields has struggled mightily in the first two games of the season. He’s thrown three interceptions compared to two touchdowns, fumbled once, and has been sacked ten times. Most of those sacks are his fault because he has been holding onto the ball for too long, causing him to miss open receivers. Mooney bruised his knee in the game versus the Buccaneers and didn’t have a catch, but all indications say he should be fine. It’s time for the coaching staff to turn to another source of offensive production.
Roshcon Johnson is a do-everything back who Chicago drafted in the fourth round of the 2023 NFL Draft. Chicago’s front office praised the rookie out of Texas for his playmaking and character, and he’s proved his worth so far. Here is how Johnson compare to the other running backs on Chicago’s roster:
Roschon Johnson
Two games
Nine carries, 52 yards, 5.77 yards per carry, one touchdown
Nine targets, eight receptions, 45 yards
Khalil Herbert
Two games
16 carries, 62 yards, 3.88 yards per carry
Eight targets, four receptions, 60 yards
D’Onta Foreman
One game
Five carries, 16 yards, 3.2 yards per carry
Three targets, two receptions, 8 yards
Johnson has the longest run out of the three backs; his longest run went for 29 yards, Herbert’s went for 12 yards, and Foreman’s went for 10. Additionally, Johnson offers much more as a pass blocker. Johnson is graded as Pro Football Focus’ sixth-best running back in pass protection. He has allowed zero pressures on eight pass-blocking spans so far. It’s a very small sample size, but mightily impressive for a rookie. In just two career games, Johnson has made it clear that he is the most talented running back on the Bears’ roster.
Bears’ offensive coordinator Luke Getsy has the most sway in getting his running backs on the field. After a promising debut against Green Bay, where Johnson touched the football 11 times and scored a touchdown, he only got the ball six times against Tampa Bay. In total, the Bears’ offense ran the ball 29 times against the Packers and 16 times against the Buccaneers. The Bears have to face Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs this Sunday. Getsy’s job should be keeping Mahomes and company off the field by establishing an effective running game. Johnson should be a focal point in Sunday’s game plan.
As the team evaluates their options, it is clear that Roschon Johnson should be the Chicago Bears’ number one running back. The coaching staff needs to make this change fast. When they do, Johnson will elevate the Bears’ rushing attack and provide the team with a multi-faceted player who can rally his teammates and contribute significantly to the passing game. While he won’t solve all of Chicago’s problems, utilizing Johnson’s talents gives the Bears’ offense a great chance to improve.
