Swift and Monangai's dual 100-yard games echo past legends, igniting hope for a historic season of rushing dominance.
The Chicago Bears did something special on Friday in the 24-15 win over the Philadelphia Eagles.
Both Kyle Monangai and D'Andre Swift had over 100 rushing yards. It was the first time that the franchise had two players do that since the 1985 season, when Walter Payton and Matt Suhey did it in a 24-3 win over the Detroit Lions.
Running the ball and using as much clock as possible was definitely the game plan against the Eagles. The Bears had 39 minutes and 18 seconds of possession, while the Eagles had 20 minutes and 42 seconds.
On top of that, Chicago had a combined 281 rushing yards and two touchdowns as a team. Swift (125) and Monangai (130) led the way, with Caleb Williams and even D.J. Moore and Luther Burden III contributing on the ground.
If Swift and Monangai continue the pace they're on, they could make even more Bears' history. Swift and Monangai have a chance to both finish with over 1000 rushing yards this season, something that has only been done five times in the NFL.
Swift currently leads the team with 774 rushing yards, and Monangai is in second with 591. The rookie would need to average 81.8 rushing yards per game, while Swift needs to have 45.2 per game with five regular-season games left.
Regardless of whether the feat is achieved this season, it has been great to see the Bears' running game come together. The team didn't start the year running the ball with this efficiency, barely eclipsing 100 yards on the ground against the Minnesota Vikings and Detroit Lions.
Then, they finished with under 100 rushing yards versus the Dallas Cowboys and Las Vegas Raiders. Things really came together in the 25-24 win over the Washington Commanders, as the Bears ran for 145 yards.
Fast forward to Week 14, and the Bears have the No. 1 rushing offense in the NFL in terms of yards per game. Chicago averages 153.8 rushing yards per game.
The blueprint under Ben Johnson has been to run the ball and set up the passing game for success, and it's paying dividends.
It might be an unlikely feat, but with this offense, it's definitely not out of the realm of possibility.
We'll see how Swift and Monangai hold up against a Green Bay Packers defense that allows 98.3 rushing yards per game.