Tag: Bears run game

Should we expect big second-year leap from RB David Montgomery in 2020?

The Bears’ biggest fantasy football question hinges on the production of second-year RB David Montgomery in 2020.

ESPN NFL Nation reporters answered the biggest fantasy questions for every team. For the Chicago Bears, it hinges on the production of running back David Montgomery in 2020.

One of Bears coach Matt Nagy’s stated goals is to have a more efficient and consistent running attack. Therefore, it’s reasonable to expect Montgomery’s rushing attempts and yardage will increase from his rookie season. I’m not sure whether Montgomery will take a giant leap, but Nagy knows that Montgomery wasn’t properly utilized in 2019 when he rushed for 889 yards and six touchdowns. Nagy is determined to fix that.

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.

Still, it wasn’t what many expected from Montgomery. And it’s not all on him. He struggled behind an ineffective offensive line — averaging 3.7 yards per carry — and he wasn’t helped by Matt 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.

Obviously, fixing the run game has been a focal point this offseason for Chicago. While the Bears seem content with the running back room led by Montgomery, Tarik Cohen and Ryan Nall, they did bring in some new offensive coaches that specialize in the run game or offensive line. Offensive coordinator Bill Lazor, offensive line coach Juan Castillo and tight ends coach Clancy Barone are working to get the run game on track.

Montgomery believes that the run game is going to be much better than it was last season.

“It’s going to be better this year,” Montgomery told reporters via video conference. “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.”

Montgomery, who will be the Bears’ featured back, should get a lot more carries than last season, and he should see a bigger role in the passing game. Whether that comes to fruition remains to be seen. But with the increased focus on the run game this offseason, Montgomery should get more opportunities in 2020.

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Bears’ new offensive coaches are looking to get the run game going

There were several issues with the Bears offense last season, including the run game, which was a detriment to a balanced offensive attack.

When it comes to dissecting what exactly went wrong with the Chicago Bears offense last season, you can’t pinpoint just one thing. Erratic quarterback play, an ineffective offensive line and inconsistent play calling were all contributing factors. But another was the struggles of the run game, which was a detriment to achieving a balanced offensive attack.

Rookie running back David Montgomery struggled to establish a rhythm behind a struggling offensive line and with a play-caller with no affinity for the run game. Montgomery had more than 20 rushing attempts in just four games, and there were seven games where he had less than 15 carries.

But in three of those games where he had more than 20 rushing attempts, the Bears won. The other game — against the Los Angeles Chargers — should’ve been a victory if Eddy Pineiro had connected on a 41-yard field goal in the closing seconds. Simply put, when the Bears had a heavy dose of the run game, they were able to turn those games into wins. Which made it even more puzzling as to why Nagy tended to abandon the run game early in games.

Fast forward this offseason, where head coach Matt Nagy brought in four new offensive coaches, including those with experience with the run game or offensive line — offensive coordinator Bill Lazor, offensive line coach Juan Castillo and tight ends coach Clancy Barone.

Lazor and Castillo have already been working on figuring out ways to open the run game up for Montgomery this season.

“Juan and I have had conversations already about the formations we would like to use in the run game for our opening game of the season,” Lazor said, via SI.com. “It’s our job, when your title is coordinator, you have to make sure it all fits.

“You have to make sure the run game, the pass game, the play-action, the drop-backs, the screens, they all fit.”

Someone else that knows something about blocking is tight ends coach Clancy Barone, who has also served as an offensive line coach during his coaching career.

“Here, we have a tight ends coach who’s not only been―in Clancy Barone, a very accomplished tight ends coach―who’s also been an offensive line coach,” Lazor said. “So, as you look at the whole picture of staff, how if your line coach takes the lead in the run game, how can you support them? The more you have guys like Clancy who have done the job and understand the job, to be able to support them, well that affects the role I have to take.”

Running backs coach Charles London described it as a committee approach, where everyone’s collaborating and looking to improve the run game as a whole.

“We’ll collaborate as we do in every phase of our game plan, whether it’s the run game, the pass game, protections,” London said. “It’s a collaboration there and I think that regardless of what the scheme is, it’s all about us.

“As an offense we didn’t really pull our weight last year and I know the guys are itching to get there and want to put a better foot forward.”

While Montgomery had a solid rookie season — 889 rushing yards, averaging 3.7 yards per carry and six touchdowns — we still haven’t seen everything that he can do. But Montgomery is confident that will change this season, and the run game as a whole will be better in 2020.

“It’s going to be better this year,” Montgomery said. “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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David Montgomery confident Bears run game will be better in 2020

Fixing the run game has been an emphasis this offseason for the Bears, and David Montgomery believes the run game will improve this season.

Among the many issues that plagued the Chicago Bears offense in 2019 was the run game, which felt like an absolute non-factor last season.

That wasn’t due in most part to rookie running back David Montgomery, who the Bears took as their top draft pick in the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft. While Montgomery’s season didn’t go as planned, he ultimately had a solid rookie season that he can build on.

Although he certainly wasn’t helped by his offensive line or Matt Nagy’s playcalling. Montgomery had more than 20 rushing attempts in just four games, and there were seven games where he had less than 15 carries.

Fixing the run game has been an emphasis this offseason for the Bears, who have brought in some new offensive coaches with proven success in the run game with offensive coordinator Bill Lazor and offensive line coach Juan Castillo. Nagy doesn’t love to run the ball, but you’ve got to believe that’s going to change.

Montgomery believes that Chicago’s run game is going to take a step forward in 2020.

“It’s going to be better this year,” Montgomery told reporters via video conference. “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.”

While Montgomery didn’t have a breakout rookie season, his performance was encouraging for the future. Montgomery had 889 rushing yards, averaging 3.7 yards per carry, and six touchdowns. He also added 25 receptions for 185 yards and a score. Montgomery surpassed 1,000 all-purpose yards as a rookie.

It’s that experience that gives Montgomery the confidence that he’s going to have more success in 2020.

“An entire year of me being in an offense,” Montgomery said. “Me not being solely a complete rookie and me going in with the unknown that, ‘I don’t know any of the offense,’ or me going in with the unknown that I don’t know if I’ll play or not. [Or] me going with the unknown of not knowing if I will get carries or not, or worrying about all the small stuff that doesn’t even matter anymore.

“I can really get to playing football now because I’m a year in and I’m a lot more confident. I’m ready to go have fun now.”

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5 reasons why the Bears offense will be better in 2020

Don’t expect the Bears offense to be one of the best in the league this season, but they should be much better than they were in 2019.

The success of the Chicago Bears in 2020 depends on their offense. While the defense has carried this team for the better part of their storied 100-year history, the defense can only do so much, especially in a pass-happy league.

The Bears had one of the worst offenses in 2019, where they ranked among the bottom dwellers in the NFL that had top-five draft picks. Disappointing considering Chicago had a great defense, even amid some devastating injury blows.

While head coach Matt Nagy has cultivated this amazing culture in Chicago, ultimately he was brought in to bring the Bears’ offense out of hibernation. And that hasn’t exactly happened over these last two years.

Don’t expect this offense to be one of the best in the league this season, but they should be much better than they were in 2019. Let’s take a look at five reasons why the Bears offense will be better in 2020.

1. It can’t get much worse than 2019

Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

The Bears offense was one of the worst in the NFL last season, and that’s just using the eye test. But were things really as bad as they seemed? Yes, the Bears offense was really that terrible in 2019. Here are some of the ugly statistics.

  • 17.5 points per game (29th in NFL)
  • 296.8 yards per game (29th)
  • 4.7 yards per play (31st)
  • 5.3 net per attempt (32nd)
  • 3.7 yards per rush (30th)
  • 35.6% 3rd-down conversion (25th)
  • 52.2% red-zone TDs (24th)

Luckily there’s nowhere to go but up for this offense, and the Bears have been making some offseason adjustments accordingly. According to running back Tarik Cohen, the Bears are looking to simplify things in 2020. Cohen said that it’s “going to be hard to tell who’s getting the ball and when or how they’re getting the ball” on offense this year, which wasn’t exactly the case last season.

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Where does David Montgomery rank among elusive RBs in NFL?

PFF ranked every starting running back in the NFL by elusiveness, and Bears RB David Montgomery landed in the middle of the pack at No. 16.

Expectations are high for Chicago Bears second-year running back David Montgomery heading into 2020 following a solid rookie campaign.

Montgomery wasn’t helped by the Bears offensive line or Matt Nagy’s play calling, where he got more than 20 carries in four games last season, and there were seven games where he had less than 15 carries.

Still, Montgomery flashed his potential in his rookie season, where he had 889 rushing yards, averaging 3.7 yards per carry, and six touchdowns. He also added 25 receptions for 185 yards and a score. Montgomery surpassed 1,000 all-purpose yards as a rookie. Montgomery also thrived as a pass blocker, where he ranked as the second best pass-blocking running back in 2019.

Coming out of Iowa State, Montgomery was praised for his elusiveness and ability to force missed tackles, which is something that manifested at times during his rookie year.

Pro Football Focus ranked every starting running back in the NFL by elusiveness, and Montgomery landed in the middle of the pack at No. 16.

Montgomery was a PFF favorite coming out of Iowa State precisely because of how elusive he was. You want to talk about a crazy stat? Montgomery forced more than 100 missed tackles as a runner and receiver in both 2017 and 2018 with the Cyclones. No other running back accomplished that feat in either of those seasons. That ability carried over to the NFL as a rookie last season — Montgomery ranked eighth among running backs on this list in missed tackles forced per touch — but he wasn’t able to turn that into efficient play as a runner or a receiver. 

Fixing the run game has been one of the focuses this offseason. Matt Nagy has been working with his new offensive coaches — offensive coordinator Bill Lazor, quarterbacks coach John DeFilippo, offensive line coach Juan Castillo and tight ends coach Clancy Barone — to help dissect what went wrong on offense, particularly the run game.

If the Bears right the ship on offense and Nagy really commits to running the football, Montgomery could be looking at a breakout year for Chicago in his second season.

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David Montgomery was second best pass-blocking RB in 2019

Bears RB David Montgomery had a solid rookie season, and he was one of the best RBs in pass protection last year.

The Chicago Bears are expecting big things from running back David Montgomery heading into his second season.

While Montgomery didn’t have a flashy rookie campaign, he put together a solid year behind a struggling offensive line and one of the league’s worst offenses.

Montgomery had 889 rushing yards, averaging 3.7 yards per carry, and six touchdowns. He also added 25 receptions for 185 yards and a score. Montgomery surpassed 1,000 all-purpose yards as a rookie.

But Montgomery was also effective in pass protection. According to Pro Football Focus, Montgomery was the second best pass-blocking running back in the NFL in 2019.

Montgomery has all of the traits to be a reliable three-down back for the Bears, including his pass-blocking ability and threat out of the backfield.

It’s difficult to judge Montgomery in his rookie season considering the struggles Chicago’s offense experienced as a whole. He wasn’t helped by his offensive line or Matt Nagy’s playcalling. Montgomery had more than 20 rushing attempts in just four games, and there were seven games where he had less than 15 carries.

Fixing the run game has been a priority for the Bears this offseason. The offensive line will look identical minus right guard following Kyle Long’s retirement. Chicago signed veteran offensive lineman Germain Ifedi, who figures to occupy the right guard spot.

Nagy also added some new offensive minds that specialize in the run game, including offensive coordinator Bill Lazor and offensive line coach Juan Castillo.

With the attention to the run game this offseason, Montgomery is primed for a breakout season in 2020.

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Bears RB David Montgomery poised to make big leap in Year 2

If the Bears offense rebounds in 2020, that could only mean good news for RB David Montgomery.

There wasn’t much that went right on offense for the Chicago Bears last season, particularly the run game. So it was difficult to judge running back David Montgomery behind a line that couldn’t create running lanes.

Still, Montgomery had a solid rookie season, where he tallied 889 rushing yards and seven touchdowns. And if the Bears offense rebounds in 2020, that could only mean good news for Montgomery.

When examining second-year players that could be looking at breakout seasons in 2020, NFL.com’s Jeffri Chadiha believes Montgomery is poised to make a big leap in his sophomore season.

He had a solid rookie season (889 rushing yards and seven total touchdowns), but he’s capable of so much more with a better offense. The Bears ranked 29th in the NFL in total offense last year, largely because embattled quarterback Mitch Trubisky struggled so mightily. That all could change if Nick Foles wins the job or simply pushes Trubisky to play at a higher level.

Remember this: Bears GM Ryan Pace made a sizable investment to trade up in the third round to select Montgomery (giving up three picks). The belief was that Montgomery would be a workhorse back, and he showed that potential late in the season. In Chicago’s final three wins of 2019, he gained 274 yards and averaged 4.6 yards per carry. Montgomery now enters this season as the only back on this roster who attempted more than 64 rushes last year, and the Bears didn’t add another ball carrier in this draft. In other words, it’s time for him to shine.

When the Bears got Montgomery going, they were winning games. Montgomery rushed for 60 or more yards in seven games last season, and the Bears won six of those games. Montgomery also had a late surge in 2019, where he rushed for 274 yards and 113 yards on 23 carries against the Minnesota Vikings.

Montgomery certainly showed that he could be a workhorse back that the Bears are looking for in his rookie season. But Montgomery averaged just 3.7 yards per carry behind a struggling offensive line, something that has been a focus this offseason.

The Bears have made some offseason moves that they believe will help right the ship with the running game and allow Montgomery more opportunities to shine. While Chicago’s offensive line will remain the same aside from a new right guard, which appears to be Germain Ifedi, the Bears brought in new offensive line coach Juan Castillo to help get the run game on track.

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Matt Nagy states the obvious: Bears run game needs to be better

One of the biggest struggles for the Bears offense was the ineffectiveness of the run game, which was among the worst in the NFL.

No matter how you look at it, the Chicago Bears offense was abysmal in 2019. With the exception of receiver Allen Robinson, who seemed to thrive with questionable quarterback play and play calling, that is.

But one of the biggest struggles, outside of quarterback, was the ineffectiveness of the run game, which was among the worst in the NFL. Chicago averaged 3.7 yards per rush in 2019, which tied for 27th in the league.

Bears head coach and offensive play caller Matt Nagy understands the obvious — the run game needs to be better in 2020.

“When you look at the last couple years with where we’ve been, we reflect and we understand that we need to be better in the run game,” Nagy told the McNeil & Parkins Show on Friday. “When your run game isn’t quite as good as you want it to be, at that time, it’s hard to call runs. At the same time, we need to do whatever’s best for our team. We need to adjust and adapt as coaches to who our players are.

“Now that we’ve had a couple years as a staff to see figure out players’ strengths are and what their weaknesses are, now we are able to work together with them and put together a product on the field that we think is a lot better. If that means running the ball a lot more, shoot, we are going to do it.

“Whatever we need to do, we’ll do it.”

This offseason, Nagy brought in some new offensive minds, including offensive coordinator Bill Lazor and offensive line coach Juan Castillo, both of whom have experience in the run game. They also added veteran Germain Ifedi, who figures to serve as the starting right guard.

While rookie running back David Montgomery didn’t exactly thrive, he had a solid season in 2019, which was hampered by the run game’s struggles. With the new additions on offense, the Bears are confident with the current group of running backs they have on their roster, including Montgomery, Tarik Cohen and Ryan Nall.

“We feel like we’re in a good place right now to be able to move forward and feel very multiple in what we do,” Nagy said. “Trust me, all of our players, all of our coaches are doing everything we can to know that we need to be a lot better than where we were last year offensively.

“There’s no finger pointing. It’s all about solutions. It’s about working together. It’s moving on.”

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NFL.com believes Bears are well-off at running back in 2020

The Bears’ run game struggled in 2019. Yet, there are some that believe that Chicago is in a good situation with its run game.

The run game was one of the most criticized aspects of an abysmal Bears offense in 2019. And yet, there are some that believe that Chicago is in a good situation with its run game this offseason.

NFL.com’s Jeremy Bergman believes the Bears are in good position at running back heading into 2020. He cited the fact that the entire offense struggled as a whole in 2019, as well as Chicago having two running backs in David Montgomery and Tarik Cohen still on their rookie deals and trending in the right direction.

Chicago’s ground game regressed in 2019, dropping from 11th to 27th after the drafting of David Montgomery and the decision to trade away Jordan Howard. There were other variables at play there, namely the frenzied play of quarterback Mitchell Trubisky and the inconsistency of the Bears as a whole.

But it’s hard to argue that wholesale changes should be made to the backfield, considering Montgomery and Tarik Cohen are both still on their rookie deals and ascending. Chicago should lean on Montgomery much more in 2020 but the Bears could use someone not named Ryan Nall to complement the youngsters. A cheap veteran pickup in free agency is warranted.

Of course, when you look at it from a monetary standpoint, the Bears are in a decent spot, especially when you consider their current predicament in terms of the salary cap. But there’s a reason that one of the focuses of this offseason has been to fix the ailing run game.

Matt Nagy isn’t necessarily someone known to have an affinity toward the running the football, which is exactly why he brought in some new offensive minds that specialize in just that.

New offensive coordinator Bill Lazor, offensive line coach Juan Castillo and even tight ends coach Clancy Barone will no doubt have their fingerprints on Chicago’s plan to address the run game.

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Could we see Cordarrelle Patterson line up more at RB in 2020?

The Bears need to find a way to get Cordarrelle Patterson more involved in the offense, and it sounds like that’s the plan in 2020.

Cordarrelle Patterson was one of the Bears’ biggest weapons last season. And he barely saw the field on offense.

Patterson was named a first-team All-Pro and Pro Bowler for his impressive performance as a kick returner. But those moments that Patterson was involved on offense, he made some impressive plays that kept the chains moving and led to points that were hard to come by in 2019.

But Patterson only played on 18.9 percent of Chicago’s offensive snaps in 2019. He had 11 catches for 83 yards and added 103 yards on 17 carries, including a 46-yard rush.

The Bears need to find a way to get Patterson more involved in the offense, and it sounds like that’s the plan in 2020.

“Yeah, that’s a guy Matt and I have talked about just making sure we’re maximizing his talent,” Ryan Pace told reporters at the NFL Scouting Combine this week. “Obviously he’s an explosive, talented player. That can be at running back, receiver, returner. We’re going to make sure we’re getting the most out to that player because he’s too talented not to.”

While Patterson is officially listed as a receiver, his versatile skillset cannot be defined by a single box. Patterson’s playmaking ability can come on special teams as a kick returner or on offense as a receiver or, yes, as a running back.

Patterson first saw action at running back during his time with the Patriots, where he started back-to-back games in place of the injured Sony Michel. During that 2018 season, Patterson had 42 carries for a career-high 228 yards and one touchdown.

One of the focal points for the Bears this offseason will be to fix their ailing run game. While they drafted rookie David Montgomery to kickstart the run game, it was anything but reassuring. Montgomery had a decent season, but the Bears didn’t trade up for decent.

How do the Bears fix their run game? Getting Patterson more involved in the run game is an option that the Bears are exploring.

“We like the group we have right now,” Pace said. “I think Tarik (Cohen), when he’s rolling, it gives us a scatback. We call it a joker back. And then David, with his ability to break tackles and run with power, and then as we talked, about, you know, maybe sprinkling in Cordarrelle Patterson some and his explosiveness. So, and Ryan Nall, we like Ryan Nall a lot. We like our running backs. That doesn’t mean we can’t continue to add to the room, but I think right now we have a lot of different flavors there that all feed off each other.”

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