If the NFL learned something about the Chicago Bears in their Week 9 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals, it's that the rushing attack is going to dominate no matter who is starting in the backfield.
The Bears rolled out rookie seventh-round pick Kyle Monangai, and all he did was rush for 176 yards and help Chicago rush for a season-high 283 yards on the ground. Caleb Williams contributed with 53 yards, Brittain Brown ran for 37 yards and scored his first NFL touchdown, and DJ Moore got a 17-yard touchdown run in the game.
Chicago can find different ways to run the football, which is why many believe that even though the Giants have one of the best defensive lines in the NFL, the Bears will still have a field day on the ground. ESPN's Aaron Schatz likes the Bears to have a consistent flow of high yards per run.
"Consistent runs of 5-10 yards will keep Chicago moving the sticks. The Bears are first in the league in second-level yards per carry (defined as the yards that come between 5 and 10 yards past the line of scrimmage). The Giants' defense is last in second-level yards per play."
Bears' numbers show there's no reason for them to dominate the Giants on the ground
Chicago was one of the worst rushing attacks at the beginning of the year, but has found a way to go from the bottom 10 in the NFL to second in the league in rushing yards with 144.4 yards per game. The good news for the Bears is that the Giants are the second-worst rush defense in the NFL, allowing 150 yards per game.
Monangai is expected to be a significant factor in the running game the rest of the season for the Bears. The real question is what will happen with D'Andre Swift, who has been the starter in the backfield until last week, after he was ruled out of the game against the Bengals with a lower leg injury that had been lingering for weeks.
With Swift questionable for the Giants game, watch for Monangai to get the bulk of the carries again. His backup will be interesting to monitor, as Roschon Johnson appears to be finally healthy from his back injury. However, the team also has Brown and Travis Homer.
Read more: Bears' final Week 10 injury report delivers disastrous news on T.J. Edwards
The Bears should be able to establish a solid running game against the Giants and find success with it throughout the contest.