Bears plan bye-week fixes for run game, defense

The 7-2 Chicago Bears enter their bye week looking to shore up weaknesses as they push toward the playoffs. Their rushing attack has cooled sharply since its dominant start, falling from about 196 yards per game in the first four weeks to roughly 99 after Kyle Monangai was injured; coach Ben Johnson says the offense needs to make the running backs’ reads clearer and restore a more dependable ground game. The bye gives Monangai extra time to recover, but Chicago also needs to run effectively without him. On defense, the Bears have allowed an NFL-high 12 pass plays of at least 40 yards, a vulnerability that could be exploited by strong playoff quarterbacks. Caleb Williams also needs to cut down on costly mistakes after throwing four interceptions in the win over Tampa Bay.