In every win for the Bears so far this season, one player has clearly led the way offensively. In Week 1, it was Caleb Williams. In Week 3, it was Case Keenum. In Week 4, however, it was not a quarterback, but rather a running back leading the way for the Chicago Bears.
Kyle Monangai, the second-year pro and former seventh-round draft pick from Rutgers, had 30 carries for 146 yards and two touchdowns in Chicago’s 23-12 victory over the New York Jets. Chicago Bears HN Story #6
It was a career high in carries for Monangai in an NFL game. His career high at Rutgers was 27 carries, and what was even more impressive was that D’Andre Swift also carried the ball 15 times.
The Bears had 54 rushing attempts in the game, 40 more than the Jets. One of the main reasons for the disparity was time of possession.
Chicago held the ball for 42:45, while the Jets had possession for just 17:15. The Bears also ran significantly more plays than the Jets, with Chicago’s drives lasting more than nine plays per drive except for those that ended in turnovers.
Tyson Bagent started at quarterback for the Bears, although many believed Keenum should have been the starter after his Monday night performance against the Eagles. Bagent completed 25 of 34 passes for 268 yards and an interception.
Swift’s production was down, as he carried the ball 15 times for 58 yards and lost a fumble. Swift averaged 3.9 yards per carry compared with Monangai’s 5.4 yards per carry.
Defensively, rookie standout Dillon Thieneman led the charge again with seven total tackles. Dayo Odeyingbo recorded a sack for the third consecutive game, tying him for ninth in the league in sacks. Devin Bush and Austin Booker also recorded sacks for the Bears.
On the first drive of the game, the Bears drove 93 yards after an illegal block in the back penalty pushed them to their own 6-yard line. On fourth-and-goal from the New York 1-yard line, Swift was originally ruled to have crossed the goal line for a touchdown. However, after a replay review, the call was reversed, and the Bears turned the ball over on downs.
The Jets went three-and-out, and Chicago followed with a 7:01 drive capped by a 1-yard Monangai rushing touchdown.
To start the second quarter, New York punted after five plays, and Bagent was intercepted by Minkah Fitzpatrick three plays later. The Jets kicked a field goal with 8:15 left in the first half to make it 7-3.
To end the half, the Bears put together two 11-play drives that both resulted in field goals, while the Jets punted on their final drive of the half. At halftime, Chicago led 13-3.
To start the third quarter, it felt like déjà vu. The Jets punted again, and Chicago turned the ball over three plays later when Swift fumbled. New York kicked another field goal with 7:00 remaining in the third quarter. After eight plays, Monangai scored his second rushing touchdown from the 5-yard line. The Jets punted to end the third quarter trailing 20-6.
The fourth quarter was dominated by the Bears. The Jets possessed the ball for only 45 seconds, and there were just three drives in the quarter. The Bears put together another 11-play drive that resulted in a field goal, extending their lead to 23-6 with 10:01 remaining.
Following a 14-yard completion, Geno Smith threw a 58-yard touchdown pass to Isaiah Williams to give the Jets their first touchdown of the game. However, Jason Sanders missed the extra point, making it 23-12 with 9:16 remaining.
While it appeared New York was building momentum for a comeback, Chicago kept the ball for the remainder of the game and ran out the clock to improve to 3-1. Former Indiana Hoosier D’Angelo Ponds intercepted Bagent on the drive, but he was called for defensive holding on the play, so the interception did not stand.
Chicago sits second in the NFC North, behind only the 4-0 Minnesota Vikings. Despite the victory, several questions have emerged among Bears fans.
Some believe Keenum should start the Bears’ next game after Bagent failed to throw a touchdown against the Jets, especially after Keenum threw three touchdown passes against the Eagles in Week 3.
Another question involves the Bears’ running back room. While Swift started the season as Chicago’s primary running back, Monangai outrushed him in Weeks 2 and 4 and had twice as many carries as Swift this week. Whether Monangai has become the Bears’ lead back could become clearer over the next few games.
In Week 5, the Bears will travel to face their biggest rival, the Green Bay Packers, at Lambeau Field on Sunday, Oct. 11, on Fox.
