LAKE FOREST, Ill. (670 The Score) — In Detroit in 2024, Lions receiver Jameson Williams rushed 11 times for 61 yards and a touchdown. Top receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown and fellow wideout Kalif Raymond had two carries apiece.
Then-Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson prioritized getting his top playmakers the football. Now, Johnson is the Bears’ first-year head coach and has plenty of tricks up his sleeve.
One that seems evident now is for Bears receiver DJ Moore to get a few handoffs, a trend that has developed in training camp.
“I was just like, ‘Go ahead, add it all onto the plate,’” Moore said. “I mean, just be an athlete at this point, I’ve got to learn it all and that’s what I’m doing.
“I just go out there and do the assignment and go off instincts when I get the ball.”
Moore has rushed 18 times for 96 yards and a touchdown in two seasons with the Bears. He has 57 career carries for 431 yards, good for an average of 7.6 yards per rush.
Moore gives the Bears another rushing option as their backfield has questions. D’Andre Swift is the Bears' lead running back, but there isn't much experience behind him. Third-year pro Roschon Johnson's foot injury has underscored the trouble establishing a running back rotation, which also has rookie seventh-round pick Kyle Monangai in the mix. The Bears signed running back Brittain Brown on Monday. He doesn't have a carry since entering the NFL as a seventh-round pick in 2022.
With Johnson sidelined, Swift and reserve Travis Homer – who's primarily a special teams player – are the Bears’ lone healthy running backs who have a carry in an NFL regular-season game.
In their first training camp with Johnson leading the way, the Bears have been struck by his intensity. That certainly goes for Moore, who has adapted to the new style.
“He can get mad and then start smiling at the same time,” Moore said. “It’s kind of creepy because you don’t know if he’s serious or if he’s joking, so you just have to take everything he says serious and go from there.
“Real, real blunt. Sometimes it’s like, you have to be a man about it and not just tuck your tail. You just have to take the coaching.”
Practice report
The Bears held a 70-minute workout Monday afternoon with 34 players participating – those who either didn't play or who had just a minimal role in their preseason opener Sunday. The team will return to the practice field late Wednesday morning at Halas Hall.
The Bears and Bills will conduct a joint practice Friday in Lake Forest.
Chris Emma covers the Bears, Chicago’s sports scene and more for 670TheScore.com. Follow him on Twitter @CEmma670.