It didn’t take long to realize what the Chicago Bears were doing when they drafted Sam Roush in the 3rd round last month. Taking the Stanford tight end when they already had Colston Loveland and Cole Kmet on the roster wasn’t some weird obsession with competition. This was a declaration from head coach Ben Johnson that the Bears planned to feature more “13” personnel schemes in the offense moving forward. That means sets with three tight ends on the field at once, which the NFL hasn’t done much of in recent years, aside from heavy run packages.
However, an evolution has been taking place. Tight ends are getting bigger and faster seemingly every year. Smart coaches have begun recognizing that “13” personnel has untapped potential because of this. Johnson and Rams head coach Sean McVay are among the leading minds who recognized this and have worked quickly to embrace it. Jumping on Roush was a crucial step in that process. Johnson immediately recognized his mixture of excellent blocking and pass-catching upside would add another layer to Chicago’s already evolving attack.
| Rank | Team | 13 Personnel Usage Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Los Angeles Rams | 30.5% |
| 2 | Indianapolis Colts | 13.3% |
| 3 | Pittsburgh Steelers | 13.2% |
| 4 | Baltimore Ravens | 12.6% |
| 5 | Chicago Bears | 8.5% |
The Chicago Bears already see what “13” does to defenses.
Johnson understands that the fundamental goal of any offensive mind is to find ways to put a defense in conflict. When you force them to think instead of react, you’ve already won half the battle. Utilizing “13” personnel can be diabolical. Take the play below. As the Bears line up against Baltimore, they have two tight ends to the right with Colston Loveland and an eligible Ozzy Trapilo. Durham Smythe lines up at the fullback spot and is then shifted to the left end of the line.
Conventional wisdom says the Bears will run the ball to the right because that is where their heaviest blocking is concentrated. That is why Baltimore shifts their defensive alignment to counter it. There is one problem. Doing so automatically gives the Bears a numbers advantage on the left side because of the third tight end. As a result, the Bears control the flow of the play and give D’Andre Swift an easy 10 yards.
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This reality bleeds into the passing game.
Defenses know this. They understand that having so many bodies along the line of scrimmage must force them to respect the run. Here is where things get really mean. Since tight ends today are more athletic than ever, it opens up significant opportunities in the passing game. Against Dallas, the Bears had all three tight ends line up to the left before putting Loveland in motion. It looks like they’re about to do the same thing as before, running it to the “weak” side. The Cowboys are forced to respond, only to have Caleb Williams run a play action fake, finding a streaking Loveland down the field for 31 yards.
Now think about this. Last season, defenses at least knew one thing. If the Bears did pass out of “13” personnel, the ball was either going to Loveland or Cole Kmet. Smythe was never known as a pass-catcher, even in college. All of that changes with Roush’s arrival. Suddenly, the Bears have three tight ends who can both block and catch passes. If knowing where the ball is going was difficult before, it is downright impossible now. Johnson could do almost anything.
This goes back to a classic golf reference. How many clubs do you have in your bag? In context for the Bears, it’s how many formations can they run without losing the ability to attack defenses. Rome Odunze, Luther Burden, and Kalif Raymond give them a credible trio of receivers to play “11” personnel. Loveland and Kmet give them “12” and now Roush adds “13.” Chicago can run any formation they want and be able to hit defenses hard. When was the last time you could ever say that?
