Ben Johnson finally made a change fans wanted and it sparked a more dynamic run game in Week 7 with exciting results
Kyle Monangai’s breakout in Week 7 is finally giving Ben Johnson his ideal 2RB offense.
For the second week in a row, the Chicago Bears rode the run game to a win, an encouraging sight compared to how the run game looked over the course of the first four games.
Credit of course goes to head coach Ben Johnson and the staff for attacking the issue head on during the extended bye week, because since returning the unit has looked drastically improved.
“We’ve been pretty consistent with that message, that it was just going to take a little bit of time to get our O-line on the same page and feel good about their fits and their combinations,” Johnson said after the game. “I think that’s starting to come together. You accumulate the reps over the course of camp and through these first five games, going into the sixth one here, and I think you really see it start to come to life a little bit. Credit to them.”
Credit also goes to the backs, yes backs, plural. Another change Johnson implemented coming out of the bye was getting rookie running back Kyle Monangai more involved in the offense, leading to some exciting results for the trajectory of the offense.
Big game from Kyle Monangai proves the Bears can lean more into a 2-RB system
During the first four games of the regular season, D’Andre Swift dominated the touches to a stubborn extent. Swift had 56 rushing attempts in those first four weeks, with Monangai being the team’s second leading ball carrier with just 17 attempts.
In the first game after the bye, Swift exploded for 108 yards on 14 rushing attempts, with Monangai adding five carries for 19 yards. The major shift finally came in Week 7 with Swift entering into the game a little banged up.
The veteran back still led the team with 19 carries and 124 yards, but Monangai saw a season-high 13 carries for 81 yards. Both players managed to find their way into the end zone as well.
“Both ball carriers ran physical, ran violent, but huge credit to our offensive line and the tight ends in that core blocking unit because you could feel that line of scrimmage move at times,” Johnson added. “And our backs were finding the holes. That was really the name of the game there.”
The new share seemed to work perfectly behind strong play of the offensive line. When Monangai entered the game, he had some strong and explosive runs. And when Swift came back in, he was refreshed and able to hit some big plays the team expects him to make.
“The more we show that we can do it, the more confident, the more (Johnson) feels that to call those runs like he tells us all the time,” Monangai explained. “So, yeah, we’re going to have to run the ball at the end of the day. That’s what he likes to do, and we’ve got to make the most of these play calls.”
Going back to his days in Detroit, Johnson’s offense was built off a two-back set, whether that was Swift and Jamaal Williams or Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery. It’s something many envisioned Johnson would bring to Chicago and after seven weeks we’re finally starting to see it.
Both Swift and Monangai proved they’re more than capable of sharing the load and producing at a high level. It’s something that should continue in Week 8 going up against a Baltimore Ravens’ defense that’s allowed 134.3 rushing yards per game in 2025.
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