The running game is the Bears’ strong suit.
Since their Week 5 bye, they lead the league in rushing yards per game and total yards per game. On the season, only the Bills average more than their 153.8 rushing yards per game.
The Bears have run for more than 280 yards in a game only three times since the end of the 1984 season. Two of those games came in November, when they ran for 283 yards against the Bengals on Nov. 2 and for 281 against the Eagles last week. Those are the most rushing yards by any NFL team in a non-overtime game all year.
Among running backs with at least 50 carries, rookie Kyle Monangai ranks seventh in the NFL with 4.9 yards per carry. Veteran D’Andre Swift is 10th at 4.7.
That’s particularly impressive, given Swift’s struggles last year. The Bears brought in running backs coach Eric Bieniemy to get Swift to dance less often and hit the hole on time.
“It’s been fun watching the evolution of where we started to where we are right now,” Bieniemy said. “Don’t get me wrong, we still have a long way to go, but I’m enjoying watching the evolution of where we are.”
Swift is enjoying it, as well: “I think we’re hitting our stride right now.’’
“You have to be really sound and you have to be really disciplined to play this run game,” Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley said. “You can’t run up the field. You can’t jump out of a gap. You can’t pass rush on a run down.”
LBs back
The Bears will get starting linebackers T.J. Edwards and Noah Sewell back Sunday.
“Going up to Lambeau, no better way to do it,” Edwards said.
Edwards is from Lake Villa but played football at Wisconsin. His wife is from Little Chute, Wisconsin, about a half-hour southwest of Green Bay, and comes from a family of Packers fans.
“I’m slowly converting them, for sure,” Edwards said.
“They wear a blue jacket, but you’ve got to check the turtlenecks. Sometimes they’ve got green underneath.”
Edwards has been nagged by a balky hamstring all year. He hasn’t played since Nov. 2 because of the hamstring and a broken hand. He’ll wear a small pad on his hand.
Sewell hurt his elbow three games ago against the Giants.
“I think it’s exciting; we’ve got all the bullets ready to go,” Edwards said.
Disrespect?
Packers defensive end Micah Parsons is getting his first taste of rivalry week. On Thursday, he made his own contribution, saying he felt an apparent disrespect from the Bears.
“Rivalries are for the people; it’s for the fans,” he told Packers reporters. “For me, it’s just going out there and just dominating. I just don’t like them because I just see, like, the disrespect. . . . I play for respect. You know how to earn someone’s respect is beating the [expletive] out of them.”
Asked specifically what the Bears have done to show disrespect, Parsons veered off into a discussion about the Packers’ two home losses last month.
“These people want to come here, and they want to beat us in our house,” he said.
Asked about what Parsons said, Edwards claimed that “I honestly haven’t heard any outside noise whatsoever.”
Notes
As expected, Bears cornerback Tyrique Stevenson (hip) and linebacker Ruben Hyppolite II (shoulder) were ruled out.
† The Packers ruled out defensive linemen Lukas Van Ness (foot), Collin Oliver (hamstring) and Devonte Wyatt (ankle), wide receiver Savion Williams (foot) and running back MarShawn Lloyd (calf).