The Chicago Bears' running backs will utilize a 'unique' blocking technique for the 2024 NFL season

The Chicago Bears‘ offense will have plenty of new features for the 2024 season.

Not only does every single position group have a new addition but the same can be said for many of the members on the offensive coaching staff. Caleb Williams has replaced Justin Fields. Keenan Allen and Rome Odunze have upgraded the wide receiver room. D’Andre Swift was added at the running back position group, and Gerald Everett was signed to compliment Cole Kmet. Coleman Shelton and Ryan Bates are battling for the center job. And there to bring together all those pieces is offensive coordinator Shane Waldron.

Chad Morton also fits into this new theme. The Bears running backs coach overlapped with Waldron while the two were in Seattle from 2021-23. Morton was a former fifth-round pick out of USC in 2000 and played six seasons as a running back in the NFL. He started his coaching career as a coaching administrator with the Packers in 2009 and began coaching the running backs in 2015 with the Seahawks and has specialized with the position group ever since.

Over the years, Morton has seen how tough it has become for running backs to block opposing linebackers, who have become bigger, stronger and more agile.

“Unless you have like impeccable timing, which some guys have, they can wait until the last second to make the block,” Morton said. “I remember this from Clinton Portis, playing with him at Washington, he was really good because he would explode through them, like up and through at the last second, but that’s like your timing has to be really good. A lot of guys want to sit here and try to use (their hands) when they lunge and try to strike then before they get you, but like it’s too hard, these guys are too good.”

Bobby Wagner has made life difficult for opposing running backs for the past 13 seasons. During the 2023 season, the nine-time Pro Bowler, six-time All-Pro and Super Bowl champion linebacker was dominating in one-on-ones and showed rookie Zach Charbonnet how grueling blocking can be in the NFL.

In an attempt to even the playing field, Morton started to teach his running backs — in his own words — a “unique blocking technique” that was different than the traditional get set, strike with the hands and lunge into the defender that is commonly used.

“So, we do more of like a catching technique,” Morton said. “We basically absorb them. The biggest thing that we have to do is obviously have a good base. Like we are not necessarily striking them with our hands. We are using more of our shoulder. So we just wait for them to come and we’re just bracing ourselves like this, like if you had to hold a big, you know pushing a car or big Indiana Jones type of thing, you know what I mean?

“When they come, we’re just here and then we explode through them at the last minute with our shoulder. It just strikes them and it just stops them right there, so we don’t have to worry about like, ‘Let me get my hands up and boom’ cause we were getting killed in one on ones in Seattle.”

Although quarterback Geno Smith was hit on this play in the Seahawks Week 11 matchup against the Rams, Charbonnet did his job by picking up defensive back Quentin Lake on this blitz.

After Charbonnet and fellow running back Kenneth Walker III started getting used to the technique, Morton saw his guys improve and block with more consistency.

“He (Charbonnet) was getting crushed on the spin move because he was always taught get up there, run your feet, run your hands, have them in good striking distance kind of everything you have been taught back in little league and stuff,” Morton said. “Bobby Wagner spin move every time. Couldn’t stop it. Now we wait for them and sometimes we back up, wait for him to do his move, catch them, done. Can’t do anything.”

According to Pro Football Focus, Charbonnet finished with 65 pass-blocking snaps, and that was tied for the 18th most among running backs. His 94.9 pass-blocking efficiency grade — which measures “pressure allowed on a per-snap basis with weighting towards sacks allowed” — ranked 25th in the NFL and was the second-highest grade among rookie running backs with at least 50 pass-blocking snaps. Only Bijan Robinson ranked higher.

Walker had 47 pass-blocking snaps and finished with 96.6 pass-blocking efficiency grade, and that was the 14th best among running backs in 2023. For an overall pass blocking grade, Walker finished fifth overall with his 83.5 grade for running backs with at least 50 blocking snaps.

“You will see our backs last year in Seattle, I thought we pass protected really well, especially guys who came out of college,” Morton said. “Those are the hardest ones because they might not expect to do it as much … So, it’s just coming here and learning the new technique and just kind of believing in it and learning it and then just executing it. Sometimes they would be like, ‘Wait, you want me to do that?’ But, yeah, it works. So that’s why we’re kind of excited. Last year in Seattle kind of proved it. So, we’re really excited about that cause that’s our main thing.”

According to PFF, Khalil Herbert ended the 2023 season with a 94.8 pass blocking efficiency grade and that was tied for 26th in the league. Roschon Johnson ended his rookie season with a 94.2 ranking, putting him at 38th in the league among running backs, and Swift came in tied for 45th in the NFL with his 92.7 pass blocking efficiency grade

Morton did acknowledge that it’s a “bit tough in the beginning” to adapt to the technique. And defenders will try to run through the running backs and will be successful if they don’t play with good leverage and balance.

Here is a good example of Lake being sent on another blitz, and the Rams safety nearly knocked Walker off his feet. Walker did just enough though to allow Smith to get the pass off to his receiver down the left sideline.

So far, though, the Bears’ running backs have started to pick up this new way of blocking.

“You know who does it really good here and I don’t even think he knew it? Roschon (Johnson),” Morton said. “He blocks just like Zack (Charbonnet). Same style if you notice he will just catch em too with his shoulder. He’s not sitting and trying to punch right here. He’s really good. He’s excellent. He’s been like that since college. He’s going to help us out here on third downs, even first and second, every down. His pass protection is unbelievable.

Also, too, Travis Homer if you watch his tape from early on with me, same way he did the same thing. At the same time he didn’t even know it cause he was doing this other technique cause he showed me some of his drills from, and I always ask these guys what did you do in college? If it’s something good, I will take it. But then he didn’t even use the technique that he was doing. He just caught dudes like Roschon does and then how Zach Charbonnet does and Homer was unbelievable for us in Seattle. Unbelievable.”

For a running back like Swift who is on the smaller side at 5-foot-9, 215 pounds, this new technique will benefit him greatly, according to Morton.

“He has to get used to it,” Morton said. “Well, it’s going to be more imperative for him to do it because it’s going to help him the most cause he’s smaller. Then he has natural leverage on these guys, so if he can absorb that hit, stay low, it’ll be better for him than trying to stay up and use his hands and try to mirror these guys.”

Things are being done differently in Chicago as the team prepares for the 2024 NFL season. That’s a good thing for the Bears, who are coming off back to back fourth place finishes in the NFC North.

And even something as fundamental as blocking is being reevaluated to help the team become successful next season.

“Like, we don’t let anybody touch the quarterback,” Morton said. “We are big on that here. The carries that’s just extra, but we got to pass protect. Protect first and make sure nobody touches Caleb (Williams). Not even a hurry where he has to get off the spot. No. We got to protect. That’s going to be number one for us this year.”

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