The Chicago Bears entered Week 8 riding a season-best four-game winning streak. The offense finally clicked under first-year head coach Ben Johnson, and even the running game looked sharp after a slow start to the season.
That's why it was so unfortunate to see them fall back to Earth in the 30-16 loss to the Baltimore Ravens. Despite Baltimore's defensive woes against the run, the Bears failed to get anything going on the ground. Fortunately, the November 4 trade deadline is still on the horizon.
Bears Need to Trade For a Running Back
D'Andre Swift turned 11 carries into 45 yards, with the bulk of that production coming in a 13-yard carry. That was a huge regression after topping the 100-yard mark in the past couple of games. Moreover, the fact that it still wasn't his worst game of the season speaks volumes about his lack of production. Five of his eleven carries went for two yards or fewer on Sunday.
Rookie Kyle Monangai wasn't much better. He had seven carries for 24 yards in the loss, and that was right after he had logged a career-best 13 carries for 81 yards and one touchdown in the win over the New Orleans Saints.
The Bears' need for another playmaker out of the backfield has been evident for quite a while. Swift and Monangai made it seem like that wasn't going to be necessary anymore, but they were clearly overdue for some regression to the mean.
The Miami Dolphins' big win over the Atlanta Falcons may have changed everything for them, and they might not want to part ways with De'Von Achane anymore. But even despite their first win of the season, the New York Jets could look to move on from Breece Hall, who has yet to get a contract extension.
Veteran star Alvin Kamara has also been tangled up in multiple trade rumors this season, and while he's made it loud and clear that he would love to finish his career in the Big Easy, he won't get the final say in that.
Whatever the case, one thing's for sure: The Bears' offense needs to give Caleb Williams more on the ground if they want to be considered a legitimate contender. And even though Ben Johnson has preached patience with the running back corps and the offense as a whole, they may not have the personnel to turn things around.