The Chicago Bears head up to Lambeau Field on Sunday for their first matchup of the season against the Green Bay Packers. Divisional games like this always have a playoff feel to them, even when the arrive packaged in Week 5 clothing. It helps when the two teams involved have a long history of loathing one another, and have participated in one of the oldest rivalries in professional sports.
The Bears have recently seen much success from their run game, a testament to the Ben Johnson system. Through the first four weeks of the 2026 NFL season, the Bears boast the most efficient rush game in the league, and have rushed for 785 yards, more than any other team in the game.
Leading the way for the Bears has been Kyle Monangai, their second running back on the list who has narrowly outpaced his counterpart in D'Andre Swift. Monangai has posted 324 yards on the ground through four weeks to Swift's 311 yards. They're neck and neck, but that's almost by design.
Johnson is famous for his one-two punch system of running backs, a system made famous by the success of David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs during their overlapping time in Detroit. The pair were affectionately nicknamed "Sonic and Knuckles" due to Montgomery's powerful style of running paired with Gibbs' incredible speed.
Now, in Chicago, Johnson has recreated a bit of that success with Swift and Monangai. The pair of backs bring multitudes of different skills to the position, and when combined, they're massively effective against opposing lines.
Swift must be Sonic and Knuckles at Lambeau
Recent reports have shown both running backs on the Bears injury report for several issues, but so far they've always been ready come game time. But that won't be happening this time.
Kyle Monangai has been ruled out of the Week 5 matchup against the Green Bay Packers due to turf toe. It couldn't come at a worse time, considering he just ran one of the biggest games of his life against the Jets in Week 4.
With Monangai out, that leaves almost all of the pressure on D'Andre Swift. Roschon Johnson is the third running back listed on the Bears depth chart, but he's only posted 535 total yards in his entire 3+ seasons in the NFL.
That's not to say that the Bears don't have any faith in Swift. The Bears and Swift agreed to a 3-year contract extension that's going to keep him in the windy city for at least the next few seasons.
But with Monangai out, Swift will need to step up in a way he hasn't needed to this season. It's true that he ran for 124 yards on 18 carries in Week 1 against the Panthers, but Monangai was always there behind him ready to take the ball should he fall or need a breath for a play.
Without Monangai, the Bears should be alright. Monangai didn't hoist the rush game solely on his own shoulders. With Ben Johnson's excellent play design and the Bears' offensive line still holding strong, Swift should have everything he needs to drive the ball all the way to a victory over the Packers.
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