Bears’ rookies back up Ben Johnson’s trust with a breakout performance vs. Bengals that proved their potential in this offense
Kyle Monangai and Colston Loveland showed out for the Chicago Bears in Week 9.
The Chicago Bears started off preparation for Week 9 with some injury concerns on offense and went into the weekend without starting running back D’Andre Swift, who’s been a driving force for head coach Ben Johnson’s offense since the team’s bye week.
Yet, the Bears’ offense went out and scored 47 points on 76 offensive plays to pull off a 47-42 shootout win against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Two players played a key role in Chicago’s win, and it was powered by the play of two rookies, who continue to earn even more trust in this offense.
Kyle Monangai had a work-horse effort in first career start for Bears’ offense
Without Swift, a lot of eyes were on seventh-round running back Kyle Monangai, making his first career start. Since the Week 5 bye, Monangai has been getting more and more involved offensively and seemed primed for the opportunity.
Even before Swift was ruled out on Friday with a groin injury, Johnson noted Monangai was expected to see an uptick in usage based on his play in all three areas (running, receiving, and blocking).
On Sunday, Monangai was a work-horse for Chicago, carrying the ball 26 times for 176 yards while adding three receptions for 22 receiving yards out of the backfield.
Monangai was a physical and tough runner who always seemed to fall forward to pick up extra yards. He’s not the big, explosive threat Swift is with the ball in his hands, but the rookie proved to be violent and consistent running the ball on Sunday.
Johnson noted on Friday that Swift’s injury has been chronic for weeks and is something that could linger beyond Week 9, even after taking a game off to heal. This performance by Monangai can give Johnson more trust in the rookie’s involvement on offense.
Colston Loveland’s breakout finally arrived
As for the other rookie, the breakout game we’ve been waiting for all season finally arrived. First-round tight end Colston Loveland finished the game with seven targets, six receptions for 118 yards, and his first two career NFL touchdowns.
Tight end Cole Kmet returned to the lineup on Sunday after missing Week 8 but left the game early with a concussion. In his absence, Loveland stepped up in a huge way as the main tight end.
Entering Week 9, Loveland had just 11 receptions for 116 yards combined in his first six games, leading to a lot of scrutiny for his involvement in the game plan. Johnson called some designed plays to get Loveland the ball, and again, he proved to have some reliable hands.
Exiting Week 9, these two rookies have more than earned a featured role in this offense, not to say Swift and Kmet should be fully phased out. However, it’s clear that Monangai and Loveland have potential as major pieces in this offense.
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