The Chicago Bears rode a momentum wave into Friday's showdown with the Philadelphia Eagles, and are now leaving Lincoln Financial Field on a tsunami of success. Despite what oddsmakers and doubters said, the Bears proved that they're legitimate playoff threats with a 24-16 win over the defending Super Bowl Champions, leaving Chicago fans feeling quite confident before the season's final stretch.
Several factors played into the Bears' ninth win of the season, especially the run game. Although the backfield has been a source of frustration at points this season (Example: 99 rushing yards in Week 12), that wasn't the case on Black Friday, as Chicago had a historic day on the ground, racking up a whopping 281 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 47 carries (6.0 yards per attempt).
No matter how hard they tried, the Eagles couldn't stop anything the Bears threw, well, ran by them, giving head coach Ben Johnson clarity about what he needs to do moving forward.
Bears Must Split RB Duties Evenly Between Swift, Monangai After Week 13
Running backs D'Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai were the stars of the show against the Eagles. The Bears' backfield duo nearly saw the same number of opportunities, as Swift converted 18 carries into 125 rushing yards and a touchdown. Monangai outperformed his veteran counterpart, tallying a 22-130-1 stat line for the best performance since he racked up 176 yards on the ground in Week 9.
For reference, it was the first time that Chicago had two 100-yard rushers in the same game since 1985, according to Yahoo Sports.
Nobody expected the Bears to run wild over the Eagles, but they did, leaving Johnson & Co. with an obvious decision to make. Although it took some time, Monangai has proven that he's more than deserving of a large chunk of backfield opportunities, and something closer to a 50/50 split would benefit Chicago in the long run. It's better to have two options that can keep opponents guessing, which is exactly how Johnson found success with the Detroit Lions (Jahmyr Gibbs, David Montgomery).
It's worth noting that, including Friday's win, the Bears are now 4-0 in games where Monangai and Swift both see double-digit touches:
Game | D'Andre Swift's Carries | Kyle Monangai's Carries |
|---|---|---|
Week 7: Win vs. Saints | 19 | 13 |
Week 11: Win vs. Vikings | 21 | 12 |
Weel 13: Win vs. Eagles | 18 | 22 |
It's worth noting that the Bears also defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers when Monangai out-carried Swift, 12-8, giving more credence to the idea that the touches should be split evenly.
The Bears hired Johnson because of his offensive genius, and now that he knows he can rely on the Monangai-Swift tandem, it's time to see what the offense is truly made of. If rotating between his RBs keeps opponents guessing down the stretch, that could open up even more possibilities for quarterback Caleb Williams and the passing game, elevating the entire unit.
Running the ball down the Eagles' throat was a recipe for success, and it'll be up to the Bears to prove they can capitalize on it. Swift and Monangai clearly deserve their respective turns in the spotlight moving forward, especially if Chicago keeps racking up wins as a result.