Declan Doyle praises Kyle Monangai's physical running and coachability. Discover what makes the rookie running back a valuable asset for the Bears' offense.
Kyle Monangai announced his arrival in Week 9, after putting on a monster performance against the Cincinnati Bengals.
While he didn't score any touchdowns, he played a big part in the 47-42 win over the Bengals. His breakout performance couldn't have come at a better time, with both D'Andre Swift and Roschon Johnson out due to injuries.
The rookie ended the day with 176 rushing yards and 22 receiving yards , as he helped Chicago continue to get first downs throughout the game.
On Thursday, offensive coordinator Declan Doyle revealed what he has enjoyed the most about getting to work with Monangai so far this season. Doyle really loved how Monangai isn't afraid to run through people when needed and credited the running back for being very coachable.
"With Kyle, Kyle's a really physical runner," Doyle said. "He does everything we ask of him, and he tries to do it exactly the way we coach it. So, that's the number one thing about Kyle, is how coachable he is, how willing he is to kinda work through the corrections and things like that. ...Really, that physicality, that dimension of being able to drop his pads and run through somebody is really what we've enjoyed about having him here."
Monangai set a new career high for himself in rushing yards in Sunday's win. He now has 362 rushing yards and one touchdown on the season. He is second on the team in rushing yards behind Swift, who has 464 and four touchdowns.
The Bears took Monangai in the seventh round of this year's draft out of Rutgers, as it looks like the running back may just be a gem of a pick.
Chicago's running game looks ahead to another team that has struggled to contain running backs, as the New York Giants allow the second most rushing yards per game at 150. The Bears were able to capitalize on the Bengals' porous run defense on Sunday, going for 283 rushing yards as a team.
While it was great to see Monangai step up, hopefully Chicago's running backs will be healthier against New York. Maybe fans could see how a healthy backfield could look versus the Giants.
Even if that isn't the case on Sunday, Bears' fans have to be relieved that others can step up in the absence of Swift and Johnson if needed.
The Bears and Giants kick off in Week 10 at noon CT on Fox.