For the first two weeks of the season, the Colts’ run defense was a mess.
In Week One, the Colts gave up 213 rushing yards in a loss to the Texans, including 159 yards gained by Joe Mixon.
In Week Two, the Colts gave up 261 rushing yards in a loss to the Packers, including 151 yards gained by Josh Jacobs.
But if there’s one thing that can get a struggling run defense back on track, it’s facing the Bears and running back D’Andre Swift. On Sunday the Colts got their first win of the season by beating the Bears while holding Swift to 20 yards on 13 carries.
So far this season Swift has 37 carries for 68 yards, an average of 1.8 yards per carry. He has one first down in 37 carries. That should be impossible: An NFL running back shouldn’t average less than two yards a carry, and shouldn’t manage just one first down while running the ball 37 times. But Swift has found a way.
Some of the blame goes to the Bears’ offensive line, but not all of it. Bears backup running backs Roschon Johnson, Khalil Herbert and Travis Homer have combined for 14 carries for 62 yards, an average of 4.4 yards per carry, and seven first downs. Those are decent numbers, and if the backups can put up decent numbers behind the Bears’ offensive line, Swift should be able to as well.
Swift is in his fifth NFL season and has played well at times in his career for both the Lions and the Eagles. That’s why the Bears signed him to a three-year, $24 million contract this offseason. But that signing is looking like a disaster right now. The Bears can’t do anything when they give Swift the ball.
