The Chicago Bears went from scoring 59 points against the Carolina Panthers to managing just three against the Minnesota Vikings. Now, with Caleb Williams nursing a hamstring injury and Tyson Bagent in concussion protocol, Ben Johnson needs to find a way to keep his offense moving.
Fortunately, Kyle Monangai has given him a pretty compelling reason to reconsider how he's distributing carries.
Kyle Monangai has earned a bigger role in Chicago's offense
Monangai didn't exactly disappear against Minnesota. He rushed for 47 yards on 10 carries, averaging 4.7 yards per attempt. D'Andre Swift, meanwhile, needed 16 carries to produce 45 yards.
Those numbers become even harder to ignore when considering Swift's costly third quarter fumble near the Vikings' goal line. Chicago was trailing 6-3 and had an opportunity to take control of a game in which points were painfully difficult to come by. Instead, Minnesota recovered the football.
Nobody is suggesting Swift should be benched after one bad afternoon. He rushed for 124 yards and three touchdowns against Carolina just a week earlier. However, continuing to feed him carries when Monangai is finding more success doesn't accomplish much beyond making life easier for opposing defenses.
Johnson has two productive running backs at his disposal. There's no reason he can't adjust their workloads according to who's producing.
Bears cannot afford to ignore what worked
Chicago's rushing attack was practically unstoppable in its season opener. The Bears accumulated 291 rushing yards against Carolina, with Monangai contributing 100 yards and a touchdown.
Seven days later, that same offense couldn't find the end zone.
Minnesota deserves credit for disrupting Johnson's game plan, but the Bears also made life unnecessarily difficult for themselves. Their most productive running back against the Vikings received six fewer carries than Swift.
That doesn't mean Monangai would have transformed Chicago's afternoon with another handful of opportunities. It does suggest Johnson should be willing to ride whichever running back gives his offense the greatest chance of sustaining drives.
With Williams' availability uncertain, establishing the running game becomes even more important. Asking Bagent or potentially Case Keenum to carry an offense against Philadelphia's defense isn't an especially appealing proposition.
Chicago already has evidence that its running backs can create problems for the Eagles. Swift and Monangai each surpassed 100 rushing yards against Philadelphia last November.
The Bears don't need to reinvent their offense before Monday night. They need to recognize which players are producing and give them opportunities to keep doing it.
Monangai has earned that opportunity. Whether Johnson gives it to him could help determine how Chicago navigates its suddenly complicated quarterback situation.
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