D'Andre

Swift

Swift scored a touchdown late in the contest, and also had a terrific catch where he reversed direction on a swing-out that set up another. The 26-year-old received 15 touches while Kyle Monangai turned eight carries into 27 yards with one 22-yard reception. Swift will remain the RB1 — with Monangai involved — in the Divisional Round against the Rams or Eagles.

The Bears gained only four first downs in the first half and were held off the scoreboard until early in the fourth quarter, a game environment that limited the veteran back to only 11 touches in the loss. More late-game heroics from quarterback Caleb Williams eventually tied the game at 16 before Goff and the Lions stole the win on a last minute field goal as time expired. The bigger picture for Swift is that he continued to operate as the primary back in what was once a timeshare situation with Kyle Monangai, the latter of whom managed only 14 yards on six carries and 15 yards on his lone reception. Swift and the Bears now prepare to host the Packers in the Wildcard Round after the Eagles also lost in Week 18.

Swift’s modest carry total was more a product of the offense’s insane efficiency rather than a reduced role, with the two teams combining for 943 total yards of offense in what quickly became a track meet. The veteran back found pay dirt twice on the ground before nearly tacking on a third on a trick play with under 30 seconds remaining and the team down by four. Quarterback Caleb Williams threw a quick slant inside to tight end Colston Loveland, who hit the hook-and-ladder to Swift around the edge. Swift was stood up at the three with enough time remaining to run one final play, which ultimately fell incomplete. It’ll be a more difficult matchup on the ground for Swift when they face off against the Lions in Week 18.

Swift played just ahead of rookie Kyle Monangai in this one, but didn’t offer much to a Bears offense that struggled for most of the night. Swift’s biggest gain of the night came on a nine-yard run in the fourth quarter that helped set the Bears up for a 51-yard field goal by Cairo Santos, but this was a classic floor game for Swift. His lack of work in the passing game continues to make Swift a touchdown-dependent RB2, which is what he should be viewed as in Week 17 against the 49ers.

Swift was questionable for Saturday’s Week 16 contest against the Packers, but as expected, the tailback will get the nod for the crucial divisional matchup. The Bears inactives for the contest will be WR Rome Odunze WR Luther Burden, LB Amen Ogbongbemiga, LB Ruben Hyppolite, QB Case Keenum and DL Jonathan Ford.

Swift popped up on the injury report Wednesday with a groin injury and practiced in a limited fashion on Thursday and Friday. While the 26-year-old running back is still listed as questionable, Fowler reports that he’s expected to play. Swift, coming off his best game of the season, is an RB2 against the Packers in Week 16. He could also see additional pass game usage with the Bears down multiple receivers.

Swift was added to the injury report on Wednesday and got in limited sessions on Thursday and Friday. He’ll be worth waiting around for on Saturday, and it’s great news that he hit the questionable line and practiced again after the surprise addition. Swift will be on the RB2 line if he plays, particularly with the Bears down a pair of important pass-catchers on Saturday.

Swift was not on the injury report yesterday. The veteran runner has been dealing with the groin issue for a while. He appeared to be over it in recent weeks, but a mid-week addition now puts him at risk of missing Saturday’s game. Kyle Monangai would be in line for a massive workload and an RB1 ranking if Swift cannot suit up.

Swift scored the first points of the game with a six-yard touchdown run midway through the first quarter. It was clear he was on his way to one of his better games of the season early on. He piled on with another touchdown run, this one for 17 yards towards the end of the third quarter. Swift is a solid RB2 heading into a home date with the Packers in Week 16.

Neither Chicago back scored and Swift operated as the team’s primary option on passing downs. His three catches propelled him ahead of Kyle Monangai in touches and fantasy points. Monangai ran 14 times for 57 yards and scored a two-point conversion on the ground. Swift has fallen behind the rookie in the pecking order for rush attempts, but the Bears are leaning on their ground game and Swift is at worst a 1B back. That will be more than enough to keep him in the RB3 mix when the Bears take on the Browns next week.