On Black Friday, the Chicago Bears sent an undeniable message to all their doubters and the rest of the league with a 24-15 win over the defending champion Philadelphia Eagles. At 9-3, they are in control of their NFC North destiny with two games against the Green Bay Packers coming in the next three weeks.
It wasn't just that the Bears beat the Eagles; it was the way they did it. On a windy day in Philadelphia, the offense held the ball for over 39 minutes (including 21 in the first half), with a ground attack that totaled 281 yards and averaged 6.0 yards per carry.
The Eagles had not allowed a 100-yard rusher in any of their first 11 games this season. The Bears had two against them, as D'Andre Swift (18 carries for 125 yards) and Kyle Monangai (22 carries for 130 yards) were equally proficient.
The Bears had not had a pair of 100-yard rushers in the same game since Walter Payton and Matt Suey did it in 1985. The 281 total rushing yards they had were the most against a defense run by Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio since 2005.
Mongai also became the third Bears' rookie in the Super Bowl era with a rushing touchdown in four straight games, joining Payton (1975) and Jeremy Langford (2015).
D'Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai have become the backfield duo of Ben Johnson's dreams
During his last two years as the Detroit Lions' offensive coordinator, Johnson had two competent running backs he could deploy with equal confidence in Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery. Based on his time with Swift in Detroit, he knew he would need a second back to emerge in the Bears' backfield, and his praise of Monangai started immediately upon the rookie's arrival.
As Swift dealt with injuries over several weeks, including a missed game in Week 9, Monangai stepped into a larger role and proved more than capable.
Swift did not show up on the injury report for the first time since Week 6 heading into the game against the Eagles. With the conditions as a driver for a run-heavy game plan, the two-headed backfield monster in line with Johnson's vision was unleashed.
As weather becomes a factor and limits what can be done through the air, an efficient run game is required to win in December and January. The Bears had a good rushing offense this season before the game against the Eagles, but more always seemed possible.
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Led by Monangai, Swift, and a strong offensive line against a tough Eagles' run defense, the Bears showed why they are a team to be reckoned with as things get tight and margins for error narrow in important upcoming games.