Bears rookie dominates backfield usage in win over Vikings

The Chicago Bears have continuously been difficult to predict with their running back usage during the 2023 season, which is a good problem to have in order to keep opposing defenses off balance.

However, their usage at the position in Week 12 against the Minnesota Vikings was even more intriguing and could point towards a usual trend.

In the 12-10 win, rookie running back Roschon Johnson played 51 of the team's offensive snaps (a 75.0 percent usage rate at the position). Khalil Herbert was the only other running back on the roster who logged a snap but only appeared on 22.1 percent of the team's offensive snaps.

Rookie takeovers in the backfield are increasingly common in the modern NFL offenses with team's wanting to rely on the fresher backs toward the end of the season. Monday showed the Bears could be the next team to do so.

However, it's hard to fully commit to that idea considering how the Bears have handled the position throughout the entire season.

Herbert appeared to be the team's lead back entering 2023, but a five week injury spell has caused him to regress as the season continued. Herbert has 73 carries for 331 rushing yards and 0 rushing touchdowns in 2023.

While Herbert was injured, D'Onta Foreman carried the load in the Bears backfield until he returned in Week 11. That game against the Lions was the first since Week 1 in which Herbert, Foreman, and Johnson all appeared in the same game.

Herbert saw the bulk of the work at the position, receiving 16 carries for 35 yards. Johnson and Foreman each logged six carries in the loss. In Monday's win over the Vikings, the team was without Foreman, who leads the team with 92 carries in 2023, due to an ankle and shin injuries.

While many expected Herbert to be the team's top back once again on Monday, Johnson actually received the heavy majority of the usage. Johnson had a career-high 10 carries for 35 yards and added a career-high 40 receiving yards on five targets. Herbert finished the game with six carries for 24 yards (4.0 yards per attempt) and two receptions for 14 yards.

The production between the two backs was pretty even considering how much usage Johnson saw compared to Herbert. Back in Week 11, Bears head coach Matt Eberflus noted that the team always wants to find the "balance by the production as we go into flow of the game" when determining who's lining up at the position on each play.

Week 12 was the second consecutive game in which quarterback Justin Fields led the team in both carries and rushing yards. Fields ran the ball 12 times for 59 yards on Monday night, a week removed from a 18 carry, 104 yard rushing performance in Week 11. Fields now leads the Bears with 400 rushing yards while averaging 5.2 yards per carry in 2023.

The Bears are third in the NFL with 1,547 rushing yards in 2023 after leading the league with 3,014 rushing yards in 2022. Monday's game was an interesting look at the team's usage at the position, and it'll be interesting to see whether or not that type of snap count share will continue for the team's rookie back going forward.