The struggles of the Chicago Bears’ run game last season were well-documented. But that hasn’t stopped many analysts from believing that Bears running back David Montgomery can capitalize off a solid rookie season in 2020.
NFL.com’s Maurice Jones-Drew examined the second-year running backs that appear poised for a Year 2 breakout in 2020, and Montgomery is among those that made his list.
Jones-Drew points out the fallacies of the Bears offense as a whole last season and the importance of head coach Matt Nagy in Montgomery’s potential success.
Like I said in my running back rankings earlier this month, Montgomery’s success depends entirely on head coach Matt Nagy. The Bears relied on quarterback Mitchell Trubisky too often last season, and the result (an 8-8 record) prompted them to trade for Nick Foles in the offseason. No matter who’s under center this fall, though, Montgomery should be at the center of the offense. Trubisky and Foles need to lean on the run game in order to succeed in the passing game, because let’s face it: These two, with this supporting cast, aren’t going to throw all over the yard on NFL defenses. They’re just not. Montgomery has the goods to lead the Bears’ offensive charge with his vision, ability to break tackles and speed in the open field. He should see closer to 280-300 carries, easily gain 1,000-plus rushing yards and log double-digit TDs.
Montgomery had a solid rookie year, where he had 889 rushing yards and six touchdowns. He also added 25 receptions for 185 yards and a score. Montgomery surpassed 1,000 all-purpose yards as a rookie.
The run game wasn’t pretty last year. Montgomery struggled behind an ineffective offensive line — averaging 3.7 yards per carry — and he wasn’t helped by Nagy’s aversion to running the football. Montgomery had more than 20 rushing attempts in just four games, and there were seven games where he had less than 15 carries.
That should change drastically in 2020, as running the football has become a focal point for Nagy’s offense. Which is why he brought in new coaches with experience in the run game, including offensive coordinator Bill Lazor and offensive line coach Juan Castillo.
Montgomery is confident that he will have a breakout season that many have pegged him for.
“It’s going to be better this year,” he told reporters earlier this offseason. “I’m going to be better this year for this team and this organization. I’m going to come as prepared as ever to lead that running back room the way I need to — and be who I need to be for this offense and this team.”
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