Chicago Bears fans expected a heavier emphasis on the run with Ben Johnson as the new head coach. Instead, Caleb Williams dropped back 44 times while the offense had only 20 called runs on Monday night. Although Johnson continuously told the media he would do whatever it takes to win, fans were still surprised with the lack of runs.
That said, when they did run the ball, their running back usage was questionable. D'Andre Swift and wide receiver D.J. Moore were the only players who saw carries. This decision was surprising because the coaching staff seems to be high on rookie Kyle Monangai.
Entering Week 2, the Bears can't afford to keep ignoring Monangai.
Bears Rookie Kyle Monangai Needs More Touches in Week 2
Chicago's ground game was a huge problem against the Minnesota Vikings. Swift had 17 carries for 53 yards, averaging 3.1 yards per carry. At one point in the game, the 26-year-old back was averaging just 2.4 yards a carry. That reflects poorly on what is supposed to be a much-improved offensive line, but the performance from Swift shouldn't exactly surprise fans.
While he had a couple runs that showed his power, he's rarely shown much as a between-the-tackles power runner throughout his career, and nothing in Week 1 suggested a different outlook for 2025. When asked after the game why the Bears didn't rely on the run more, Johnson said "I didn’t feel a rhythm as I was calling it." And it's easy to see why Swift's play prevented that rhyhtm.
Johnson expanded on why the run game didn't work during his meeting with the media on Tuesday. He said, " With that being said, we anticipated being on the same page more than we were. There were some times when we made the ‘Mike’ point, we weren’t all on the same page."
Johnson’s explanation for the run game struggles made sense, and giving Monangai more opportunities would have helped. At Rutgers, the 23-year-old recorded 2,228 yards after contact in four seasons. That kind of power and balance could have been valuable against a Vikings team with an improved run defense.
That same philosophy would benefit Chicago this week. Last week, the Lions held Josh Jacobs to eight yards on six carries in the first half and limited Green Bay to a total of 78 rushing yards. Given how dominant the Packers' rushing attack was last season, that was impressive.
Thus, with another tough run defense coming up, using Monangai to have an effective running game will be important.