In the trenches
With the offensive line playing its best game of the year versus the Commanders, the Bears rushed for a season-high 145 yards and one TD on 27 carries. Swift gained 108 yards on 14 attempts, a 7.7-yard average.
"I equate it to better fundamentals up front," Johnson said. "I thought our guys did a great job with their combinations. They had two really strong interior players (defensive tackles Daron Payne and Javon Kinlaw) and we were looking to get double teams on those guys as much as we could, whether it was our gap schemes or our zone schemes.
"Those double teams were really good. We were able to displace them and create some cavities that way. We had some motions and shifts to help soften that linebacking crew in particular up a little bit, because that's a hard-nosed, downhill unit. We were looking every which way we could to try to give them a little eye candy and slow them down."
First-year pro Theo Benedet played a key role on the line for the second straight game. Against the Raiders, the University of British Columbia product started at right tackle before moving to left tackle in the second quarter. On Monday night, he started and played the entire contest at left tackle.
"He's done a really solid job for us," Johnson said. "The biggest compliment I could probably give him last week is I didn't feel him out there, which, as a play-caller, that's what you're normally doing: 'Hey, why's a play breaking down?' And if it's a particular person, you're looking to help him out somehow, some way, and I never felt that with him last week.
"I think the confidence is growing with his ability to perform in the league, and our confidence with him continues to grow as well."