Kyle Monangai’s first start was a revelation.
He might get another one Sunday.
D’Andre Swift, the Bears starter who was healthy all week, missed practice Friday for what the team called personal reasons and is questionable to play Sunday against the Giants.
Linebacker T.J. Edwards was also ruled out after having hand surgery this week and dealing with a hamstring injury.
After missing a week’s worth of practices last week leading up to the Bengals game because of a nagging groin injury, Swift was limited in practice Wednesday and a full participant Thursday. He said Wednesday he planned to play against the Giants.
If he doesn’t, Monangai will get a chance to build on the 26-carry, 176-yard performance he posted against the Bengals.
“No one on the coaching staff or personnel side, no one was surprised to see that,” coach Ben Johnson said Friday. “When you come into the building like he does and have his approach every day, it doesn’t matter in the meetings or walkthrough or practice, you know what you’re going to get. He’s a very consistent player.
“And so he ran hard, he lowered his pads. I thought he played some inspiring football for anyone that was watching it, whether you were on the field or on the sidelines.”
Running backs coach Eric Bieniemy, who is one inch shorter than the 5-foot-8 Monangai, was asked this week whether the rookie reminded him of himself. He found another name instead: Kareem Hunt.
Bieniemy was Hunt’s running backs coach in his first year and his offensive coordinator in his second.
Hunt is bigger — 5-foot-11 — but runs with a similar tenacity. He led the NFL in rushing as a rookie, gaining 1,327 yards, and is in his ninth season in the league.
Monangai won’t get to 1,327 yards unless he finds a way to play the Bengals every week. The league’s worst defense allowed the Bears offensive line to move the line of scrimmage three, four and five yards consistently. It didn’t matter than Swift was out of the lineup — the Bears were able to run with consistency.
“We understand that as a group, things don’t happen unless everybody’s all in,” Bieniemy said.
After beating up the Bengals, Monangai spent part of the week responding to the hundreds of text messages he received after his first start.
“Just gotta keep building,” he said. “I can’t let it take last week to this week. It’s a new week, new opponent.”
A better one — but only barely. The Giants give up 150 rushing yards per game, second-only to the Bengals.