The Chicago Bears have been without star running back Kyle Monangai for the past three weeks, and the running game has yielded mixed results in his absence. D'Andre Swift has been up and down, and Roschon Johnson has struggled mightily.
The Bears haven't placed Monangai on Injured Reserve with a toe and knee injury, so it always seemed that the ailments weren't as serious. Time goes by, and there's still no word on the second-year running back.
Now, the fact that they activated Zavier Scott from the practice squad leads the fans to two obvious conclusions. One: Roschon Johnson is done, and two: the injury might be more serious than they wanted to admit in the first place.
The Chicago Bears desperately need Kyle Monangai back on the field
Monangai was in the middle of a strong season. He had been the team's most efficient ball-carrier, not to mention the short-yardage specialist. He's a true bruiser, someone who'll run over guys left and right, and they've lacked that aggressive punch.
Swift is also a starting-caliber running back, for sure, but he's got a different profile. He's craftier, shiftier, and more patient. He'll look to find gaps in the defense instead of powering his way down the field. He and Monangai complement each other perfectly, just like Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery when Ben Johnson was the Detroit Lions' offensive coordinator.
In four games, Monangai turned 60 carries into 324 rushing yards, an average of 5.4 yards per carry and 81.0 rushing yards per game. He also had three rushing touchdowns, and he hauled in five receptions on as many targets for 39 yards. He broke out for 146 yards and two scores in his last game.
The running game is crucial to Ben Johnson's offense. The Bears are leading the league with 154.3 rushing yards per game, even without Monangai. That said, losing Cole Kmet for the season might also take a big toll on that, given his prowess as a run blocker.
The Bears will now face a Seattle Seahawks defense that just bottled up Kenneth Walker III, and they clearly know how to contain explosive ball-carriers. Hopefully, Monangai will be able to practice and get back on the field, as they can definitely use a bruiser against the league's most physical defense.
But with Scott now in the fold, it looks like Monangai might be on the shelf for a little longer.
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