How Can Ben Johnson Best Use Kyle Monangai?

The Chicago Bears failed to establish the run effectively in Monday's 27-24 disappointing defeat to the Minnesota Vikings. One way to try to course-correct that against the Detroit Lions in Week 2 is to get rookie running back Kyle Monangai more involved. Head coach Ben Johnson should afford Monangai more opportunities versus the Lions.

"I need to call more runs," Johnson admitted about Monangai's usage. "I need to call more so that we get him in the game a little bit more. That's something EB [Eric Bieniemy] and I have talked about, making sure he has more carries going forward."

Bears quarterback Caleb Williams led the offense in rushing on Monday with 58 yards and a touchdown on six scrambles. D'Andre Swift found little operating room versus a tough Vikings front, rushing for 53 yards on 17 carries. Swift averaged 3.1 yards per carry and failed to find the end zone. That’s unacceptable given the Bears’ upgrades across the interior of their offensive line this offseason.

Monangai did not receive a single carry. Wide receiver D.J. Moore rushed three times for eight yards. Johnson displayed creativity with Moore's usage, but utilizing the more traditional Monangai in the backfield may be a smarter strategy.

Monangai was limited to one offensive opportunity, an 11-yard catch. The former Rutgers standout played just nine offensive snaps, with Swift dominating the workload via 54 snaps. Monangai showed some route-running ability and wiggle on his reception.

Offseason rumors swirled about Swift's uncertain future with the Bears. Johnson was not the coach when general manager Ryan Poles signed Swift to an ill-advised three-year, $24 million contract last offseason. He disappointed in 2024, his debut season in Chicago, rushing for 959 yards and a career-low 3.8 yards per attempt. Week 1 brought similar struggles.

Monangai impressed as a seventh-round rookie throughout training camp and the preseason. The fact that the No. 233 overall selection was an active option in Week 1 speaks volumes about his progress. Johnson and Bienemy trust Monangai. Now they need to expand his workload a little bit.

Monangai only played in the Bears' first exhibition game, but it was enough of a showcase. He rushed six times for 30 yards, averaging 5.0 per carry. Roughly 19 of Monangai's 30 yards occurred after contact, per Pro Football Focus, giving him an average of 3.17 yards after contact per attempt, forcing two missed tackles.

As a quarterback, Williams accounted for approximately half (58/119) of the Bears' Week 1 rushing total. That's not an indicator of an effective ground attack. Considering how important the run game was to Johnson's success as the Lions' offensive coordinator, he needs to solve this early-season puzzle. Having Monangai split backfield duties with Swift is a potential solution.