The Chicago Bears' running back room has been banged up all week. D'Andre Swift missed the first two days of practice with a nagging groin injury, and Roschon Johnson was sidelined with a back injury. While no Bears fan thought Johnson would play, there was some optimism that Swift might return to practice on Friday.
Unfortunately, Friday's injury report ruled both Swift and Johnson out. This leaves rookie Kyle Monangai and Travis Homer as the only two healthy running backs. However, Homer is mainly a special teams player. As a result, Chicago will likely call up preseason standout Brittain Brown. These injuries now give both Monangai and Brown a chance to showcase their skills against a weak Cincinnati Bengals run defense.
Kyle Monangai, Brittain Brown Have a Ton to Gain in Week 9
While there’s no guarantee Brown will be called up from the practice squad, most teams don’t enter a game with only two healthy running backs. Given how important the running game is to head coach Ben Johnson, it’s hard to imagine the Bears doing that. Brown impressed many Bears fans during the preseason.
In two exhibition games, the 28-year-old carried the ball 29 times for 100 yards and scored one touchdown. What impressed Bears fans most was the power he showed. In his 29 attempts, Brown recorded 63 yards after contact and averaged 2.17 yards after contact. For a player Chicago took a flyer on when their running back room was banged up in the preseason, he provided good production.
Before joining the Bears, Brown was selected by the Las Vegas Raiders in the seventh round of the 2022 NFL draft. During his rookie year, he only played special teams, and then he missed his entire second season with an injury; thus, if he gets a chance Sunday, it will be the biggest of his career.
Monangai, on the other hand, has a chance to prove why he should be the lead back over Swift once he returns. Monangai's best game since the bye week was in the Bears' Week 7 matchup against the New Orleans Saints. In that game, the rookie rushed for 81 yards on 13 carries and scored one touchdown. In the other two games, he has put up numbers similar to what he was doing before the bye week.
That said, the Bengals have the 32nd-ranked run defense in the NFL, allowing 151.9 rushing yards per game. In other words, Monangai, Brown, and the Bears' offensive line should be able to take advantage of the situation.
If they are unable to do so, Chicago might have to rethink its backfield plans.