Bear Digest

Here's who Bears fans think will lead Chicago in rushing in Week 2 vs. Lions

The Chicago Bears could be making big changes to their running game in Week 2 against the Detroit Lions.
Bryan Perez|
David Banks-Imagn Images

In this story:

Chicago Bears

Big changes could be coming to the Chicago Bears' rushing attack, especially after D'Andre Swift's underwhelming 17 carries for 53 yards against the Minnesota Vikings in the opener.

Ben Johnson admitted this week that he needed to call more runs, and mentioned rookie Kyle Monangai as the likely beneficiary of those additional rushing attempts. Don't forget about third-year pro Roschon Johnson, either. He's finally healthy and could get his chance to prove his value as a short-yardage back against the Detroit Lions.

There's also Caleb Williams' ability as a runner, something offensive coordinator Declan Doyle said the Bears will continue taking advantage of. Williams was actually Chicago's leading rusher in Week 1 with 58 yards.

That led to me asking Bears Twitter who they think will end up leading Chicago in rushing in Week 2, and the majority still believe it will be Swift. Although, Monangai is closing the gap.

Swift received over 56% of the votes, with Monangai coming in second with 23%. Williams was third at 15%.

Perhaps this will end up being a non-story, especially if Swift can break off a few chunk runs and establish momentum early in the game. But, if he doesn't? Monangai will have a rare chance as a seventh-round pick to earn a signficant role in the offense this season.

The Bears will need all the offense they can get to keep up with the Lions, and part of that will winning the time of possesson battle. A good ground game will go a long way to accomplishing that goal, and perhaps the combination of Swift and Monangai will be enough to get Chicago across the finish line.

More Chicago Bears News

Published
Bryan Perez
BRYAN PEREZ

Bryan Perez founded and operated Bears Talk, a Chicago sports blog. Prior to that, he covered the Bears for USA Today’s Bears Wire and NBC Sports Chicago. In addition to his Chicago Bears coverage, Perez is a respected member of NFL Draft media and was a past winner of The Huddle's Mock Draft competition. Bryan's past life includes time as a Northeast scout for the CFL's Ottawa Redblacks.

Home/News