Grading the 2019 Bears by position: Running backs

The running back position was seen as the weak-link on the offensive side for the Bears heading into the 2019 season, and that proved true.

Tarik Cohen: C-

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Aside from quarterback Mitchell Trubisky, the skill position player on offense who regressed the most from 2018 to 2019 was Tarik Cohen. A true spark plug in 2018, Cohen’s usage didn’t dip, but his production sure did. His yards per carry on the ground fell from 4.5 to 3.3 and his yards per catch were nearly cut in half, dropping from 10.2 to 5.8. He had 269 fewer receiving yards last season compared to 2018, despite catching eight more passes.

Cohen didn’t seem to have reason being on the field. He was limited to short-yardage gains through the air and his vision was questionable all season, as he ducked out of bounds far too early instead of running upfield. While those statistics and facts are certainly disappointing, his drops were probably most concerning. Cohen led all running backs with nine drops, after only committing one the season before.

As the pass-catching running back on the team, Cohen must bounce back in 2020 if he hopes to stick with the team going forward as he enters the final year of his rookie deal.

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