Johnson, Poles Get Bears’ Running Game Rolling Without Major Addition

How well are Ben Johnson and Ryan Poles working together?

Look no farther than the recent emergence of the Bears running game. It provides a shining example of productive team building by the first-year head coach and the fourth year general manager.

Johnson, the top candidate in last year’s coaching market, was given an unusual level of influence by Poles and the team’s traditionally ineffective ownership group. Most analysts felt he would explore a running back upgrade through the free agent market or the draft but Johnson instead endorsed a plan to rebuild the interior of the offensive line.

Meanwhile he showed confidence in D’Andre Swift, who was viewed as a disappointment in the first season of a three-year deal, and didn’t seem to mind when Poles waited until the seventh round to add a running back.

While it seemed Johnson would be pounding the table for a celebrated runner like Ashton Jeanty, Omarian Hampton, Quinshon Judkins or TreVeyon Henderson, Poles waited while 21 other running backs came off the board before selecting Rutgers’ Kyle Monangai with the 233rd pick of the draft. That patience is paying off.

Swift and Monangai combined to rush for 332 yards in victories over New Orleans and Washington the last two weeks. They averaged an eye-popping 6.5 yards per carry, running the ball on over 40 percent of the team’s plays.

Poles signed Swift to a three-year, $24 million contract in 2024, after Khalil Herbert failed to fill the void created when David Montgomery signed with Detroit (replacing Swift, a 2020 second-round pick of the Lions who was traded to Philadelphia). He had run for a career-high 1049 yards for the Eagles but had minimal impact with the Bears, scoring six touchdowns in 17 games and averaging only 50 rushing yards in the last 10 games.

Johnson was Detroit’s offensive coordinator in 2022, when Swift averaged 5.5 yards per carry while sharing a backfield with Jamaal Williams. He not only saw the potential for Swift to succeed as a lead back but understood the role the Lions’ robust offensive line played in Jahmyr Gibbs and Montgomery running for 2187 yards and 28 touchdowns last season.

While some see Swift and Monangai as an attempt to recreate the “Sonic and Knuckles” combination of Gibbs and Montgomery, the upgrade of Chicago’s offensive line seems at least as relevant. The mix built around center Drew Dalman and guards Joe Thuney and Jonah Jackson is improving weekly. Pro Football Focus had the Bears’ line ranked 23rd entering Week 6 but jumped it to 16th in Week 7 and 13th heading into Sunday’s game at Baltimore.

With teams remaining reluctant to spend heavily on running backs, the Bears surprisingly rank fifth in the NFL in positional spending between Swift, Monangai, Roschon Johnson, Travis Homer and Deion Hankins (Injured Reserve). Those five backs are earning a combined $13.6 million this season, behind only Indianapolis ($18.7 million), Houston, Detroit and Green Bay.

Monangai is an intriguing addition. While both he and Swift stand only 5-8, he is a powerful runner whose strength extends to his hands. Monangai ran for 3222 yards in four seasons at Rutgers, carrying the ball 669 times without a fumble.

Johnson reacted to the game script of a Week 2 blowout loss in Detroit by getting Monangai 10 touches but otherwise the rookie had remained in the wings until his breakout on Sunday. Swift ran for 124 yards over 19 carries while Monangai added 81 yards on 13 runs in the 26-14 victory over New Orleans.

This could be the start of something big.

The Bears have won four games in a row, raising their record to 4-2. They had an identical start last season before a lack of leadership and offensive line depth led to a 5-12 season that doomed head coach Matt Eberflus and interim head coach Thomas Brown.

This is a new era. If the Bears can continue their growth in the offensive line and ground game, their postseason odds should climb as well. The partnership between Johnson and Poles has the franchise trending upward.