For the past month, Bears coach Lovie Smith has repeated his desire for a productive running game to pace the offense and to allow the defense to rest.

Smith should get his wish today.

If the Bears cannot run the ball against the Jacksonville Jaguars (1-3), it’s tough to say whether any opponent will allow them to run for big yards. The Jaguars have the third-worst run defense in the NFL, which is a weakness that the Bears (3-1) plan to exploit in their bid to maintain at least a share of first place in the NFC North.