If you’re still thinking of the Bears as that same old, run-heavy team stuck in neutral with a glorified running back playing quarterback, it’s time to wake the hell up. The 2025 Chicago Bears aren’t just leaning on the ground game — they’re obliterating the league with it. Through Week 13, this isn’t just a good rushing offense. It’s the blueprint for how a run-first identity can be modern, lethal, and backed by cold-blooded analytics.
Let’s break down the anatomy of the NFL’s nastiest rushing attack.
*Data is through week 12*
From Volume to Violence: Bears By The Numbers
Chicago is putting up 153.8 rushing yards per game — second only to the Bills, and that gap is thinner than the excuses from defensive coordinators trying to explain it. But it’s not just volume. They’re averaging 4.9 yards per carry with +0.05 EPA per rush, and lead the damn league in EPA per rushing play, per StatMuse/RBSDM.
You get that? In a year where rushing EPA is negative across most of the league, the Bears are adding points by keeping the ball on the ground. That’s not supposed to happen.
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And they’re doing it with explosiveness (top-5 in 10+ yard runs), consistency (top-5 in success rate), and sheer dominance before contact — a league-best 1,565 rushing yards before contact. That’s not just winning up front. That’s pulling the other team’s pants down and laughing while you do it.
Ben Johnson: Mad Scientist with a Clipboard
Here’s where it gets beautiful. This isn’t just the same old Bears slogging through inside zone 30 times a game. This is Ben Johnson’s Frankenstein offense — wide zone, counter, windback, play-action, two-tight end sets, and actual creativity baked into every snap.
They’ve shifted to a heavy under-center approach, ranking 4th in under-center usage and 2nd in play-action rate. And guess what? That’s where most of their explosives are coming from.
When you’re pounding out yards in 12 personnel and making defenses guess whether it’s a toss, a boot, or a deep shot, you force them to play honest. And when they play honest, they get gashed.
Trench Warfare: The Line Is That Good
Want to know how the Bears are No. 1 in yards before contact? Start with the OL. Chicago has gone from a bottom-5 unit to arguably one of the most efficient run-blocking lines in football. ESPN puts their run-block win rate at 72% (11th), and it feels even better than that when you watch them bully people on tape.
They’re athletic, cohesive, and nasty as hell. Joe Thuney’s been a monster. Darnell Wright’s been a monster. The rest of the group? Playing as one brutal hive mind. Add tight ends who can block (what a concept), and you get that YBC per carry north of 2.0 — best in the league.
The Skill Guys: Perfectly Slotted Killers
- D’Andre Swift: Outside zone monster, finally being used properly with tosses and stretch plays that hit his skillset. 2.7 YBC per carry. 21 explosive runs. Get out of his damn way.
- Kyle Monangai: North-south sledgehammer with vision. 2.6 YBC, 2.0 YAC. No wasted motion. Just pain.
- Caleb Williams: Not Fields-level fast, but slippery enough to pull the edge defender, keep on boots, and add 25–30 yards a game with his legs. Plus, he’s not taking sacks, which keeps the EPA clean.
- WRs & TEs: Rome Odunze and DJ Moore force defenses to stay honest. Add in two-tight end sets with real dual-threats, and suddenly you can run on light boxes with muscle.
Play Calling That Actually Makes Sense
This isn’t “run-run-pass-punt.” Johnson mixes his calls like a damn DJ. Chicago’s running on 47% of their plays (7th in the league), but here’s the kicker: they lead the NFL in plays per game (66.3). More plays + better design + smarter timing = a run game that doesn’t just chew clock — it wins games.
They’re top-5 in RB runs from under center, which are naturally more efficient and fit the play-action setups they live in. They’re running more when leading, staying balanced early, and refusing to get cute in short yardage. This is how you actually be a run-first team without being predictable garbage.
EPA, Success Rate, and the Analytics Love Fest
In case you thought this was just about grinding out yards, here’s the data dagger:
- +0.05 EPA per rush.
- Top-5 in success rate.
- No. 1 in EPA per rush, per StatMuse.
- Top-5 in explosive rate.
Even the advanced nerd metrics that usually shit on run-first teams are out here clapping for the Bears. Because this run game isn’t just effective — it’s efficient, explosive, and tied directly to a passing game that feeds off the run looks.
Year-Over-Year Turnaround: A Masterclass
Let’s zoom out. In 2024:
- Bears averaged 102.0 rushing YPG.
- ‑0.06 EPA per rush.
- 24th in ground production.
Now?
- 153.8 rushing YPG.
- +0.05 EPA per rush.
- Top-2 in production, #1 in advanced metrics.
That’s a 50+ yard/game jump and an 0.11 EPA per rush swing. That doesn’t happen without elite coaching, personnel upgrades, and a front office actually giving a damn about the trenches.
Sustainable or Smoke?
This isn’t a fluke. Sure, EPA can swing, and health always matters. But the Bears are doing this against real defenses and still leading in YBC. The explosive rate is stable, the usage is smart, and the offensive line is the real damn deal.
Barring a collapse or mass injury, this offense is built to last.
Final Verdict
This is what it looks like when a team stops screwing around and builds a run game that actually works in the modern NFL:
- Top-tier blocking.
- Scheme that manipulates the defense.
- Explosive backs who fit their roles.
- A QB who keeps the backside honest.
- Play calling that doesn’t insult your intelligence.
This isn’t “three yards and a cloud of dust.” This is three yards before contact, and a 20-yard gain after it.
The 2025 Bears aren’t just pounding the rock. They’re engineering violence with precision, and the numbers are backing every damn bit of it.
