Tag: David Montgomery

Fantasy Football Week 6: David Montgomery should be in your starting lineup

Chicago Bears running back David Montgomery has had a hard-to-understand season through five games this year. After averaging more than five yards per carry in the first two games, his output has plummeted to just 101 yards on 34 carries over the …

Chicago Bears running back David Montgomery has had a hard-to-understand season through five games this year.

After averaging more than five yards per carry in the first two games, his output has plummeted to just 101 yards on 34 carries over the last three weeks.

It’s an expected result for a rushing attack that faced two of the league’s top run defenses in consecutive games — Colts and Buccaneers. Things should get much easier for Montgomery and the Bears in Week 6 against the Panthers, and it’s why he’s been dubbed a ‘start ’em’ in fantasy football by Pro Football Focus.

The 2020 season has been strange for Montgomery as he now rules the Bears’ backfield with Tarik Cohen out for the season but he has yet to truly break out with a dominant performance. Montgomery’s 65.1 fantasy points rank 20th among running backs this season.

There is a lot of intrigue this week, though, as the Bears are set to oppose the Carolina Panthers in this week’s slate of games. The Panthers have allowed the seventh-most rushing yards to opposing running backs and the third-most rushing touchdowns to the position.

The Bears haven’t made things easy for themselves this season; three of their four wins have required improbable comebacks. Their 2020 game script hasn’t been run-friendly and Montgomery hasn’t had a chance to really get going or even get into a rhythm at any point this season.

There’s also the whole Matt Nagy thing. The Bears’ coach/play-caller continues to have a hard time committing to a running game.

Sunday’s matchup against the Panthers, who are another slow-paced team in neutral game situations, should give Nagy a chance to lean on Montgomery early (and often) throughout the game. Expect a heavy dose of No. 32, and with volume usually comes fantasy points.

The Bears passed on free agent Le’Veon Bell and have continued preaching confidence in their running back room despite the loss of Cohen. They’ll have a chance to prove just how confident they are in Montgomery’s bell-cow ability in Week 6.

Could we see Le’Veon Bell in the NFC North?

Bell wasn’t great with the Jets (really, nobody is), but he’s still only 28 years old.

The New York Jets surprisingly cut running back Le’Veon Bell this week.

It would be a surprise if Bell didn’t sign somewhere before the end of the season. Bell wasn’t great with the Jets (really, nobody is), but he’s still only 28 years old.

So, where could Bell end up?

Maurice Jones-Drew over at NFL.com put together a list of landing spots for Bell.

Included on that list are the Chicago Bears. The Bears are already without Tarik Cohen for the season, but they still do have last year’s third-round pick David Montgomery.

With that being said, Bell would probably be an upgrade over Montgomery. The former Iowa State star is averaging just 3.9 yards per carry and is averaging 49 rushing yards per game in 2020, down five yards from last season.

If Bell were to sign with the Bears, the Vikings would see him twice this season as they have yet to play the 4-1 Bears.

Should the Chicago Bears make a run at RB Le’Veon Bell?

It didn’t take long for many to link released RB Le’Veon Bell to the Bears, especially considering their struggles in the run game.

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The NFL free-agent market just gained an attractive addition via running back Le’Veon Bell, who was released by the New York Jets on Tuesday night. The Jets had tried trading Bell, but after getting no offers they parted ways with one of the game’s best backs.

It didn’t take long for many to link Bell to the Chicago Bears, especially considering their struggles in the run game and Bell’s versatility in the passing game, which has made him a weapon.

But the problem with the Bears run game isn’t just on running back David Montgomery. It’s the offensive line, which has struggled in run blocking, pass protection and pretty much everything in these last two games. It’s on play caller Matt Nagy. And it’s also a lack of depth behind Montgomery.

After running back Tarik Cohen went down with a torn ACL, the Bears turned to receiver-turned-running-back Cordarrelle Patterson to provide a spark. But he hasn’t been the answer, becoming more effective in the passing game. The Bears also signed Lamar Miller to the practice squad with the belief that they’ll elevate him to the active roster in the near future.

Chicago’s offense has faced two of the best run defenses in the NFL over these last two games, and the results have been pretty gruesome. They’ve managed just 63 yards on 30 carries for an abysmal 2.1 yards per carry. The Bears went from a top-10 rushing attack in the first couple of weeks to a bottom-six run game over these last two games.

While Bell is certainly an intriguing option to bring into Matt Nagy’s offense — and it certainly helps that he’d now be more affordable — he wouldn’t be a magical cure all for a Bears offense that still hasn’t figured out how to effectively run the football. Still, it’s an idea that’s hard not to consider. Especially at the right price.

 

 

WATCH: David Montgomery scores Bears’ first rushing TD this season

The Bears got their first rushing touchdown of the season – and it only took 18 quarters to get it.

The Chicago Bears finally have their first rushing touchdown of the season. And it only took 18 quarters to get it.

With the Bears trailing the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 13-0 in the second quarter, they orchestrated a 10-play, 75-yard drive that milked 5:15 off the clock and resulted in the Bears’ first points of the game.

On second-and-goal from the 3-yard line, running back David Montgomery punched it in for his second touchdown — his first rushing touchdown — of the season.

The Bears lead the Bucs 14-13 at halftime.

Fantasy Football Market Report: Week 5

One month into the NFL and fantasy football season, some players are moving up the charts quickly while others are near rock bottom.

We are in a transition season in the NFL. Whether it was COVID-19 that kept teams from building up to the regular season or simply the tipping point of games being predominantly high-scoring, what has happened through four weeks in the 2020 NFL is startling and unprecedented.

Teams are routinely scoring 30 points or more – at a record-setting pace.

To put it in perspective, in the previous five seasons – four of those consisting of 63 games because of the start of bye season and one with 64 – there was a consistency to how many teams would have a high-scoring game of 30+ points. From 2015-19, through four weeks of the season, the numbers of teams who scored 30 or more in a game was a near-flat line (30-32-28-33-28). That’s crazy consistent.

Heading into Monday’s Atlanta-Green Bay game, there had been 62 games played. In those games, 51 teams scored 30 or more points in a game. Green Bay became the 52nd when they dropped 30 points on Atlanta.

In the previous five years, it tended to be only one team that scored 30+. Of the 151 teams that scored 30 or more, they won 85 percent of the games (128-23).

Last year, if you scored 30 in Weeks 1-4, you had a winning percentage of more than 89 percent (25-3). This year? Teams scoring 30 or more points won 39 games, but 12 who also scored 30 have lost. That’s an average of three games a week in which both teams hit that lofty number and they combined to have a winning percentage of 76.5 percent.

Is it a sign of the times? Is it a sign of no training camp or preseason that has given offenses the clear edge to move the ball? All fantasy players know is that points are up and they like it that way…unless the bomb drops on them.

Here is the Week 5 Fantasy Market Report:

Fantasy Football Risers

Dak Prescott, QB, Dallas Cowboys

There’s a strange simpatico fantasy owners have with Dallas quarterbacks. Guys didn’t love Tony Romo, but drafted him every year because they wished for Dallas to fall behind by double digits early and it was game-on for garbage points trying to come back.

Over the last three weeks, Prescott has thrown for an ungodly 1,424 yards with eight touchdown passes and three TD runs. His pass-yardage total has been 450, 472 and 502. Who cares if his team sucks. He’s taking fantasy owners to the pay window all by himself.

Kareem Hunt, RB, Cleveland Browns

Sometimes Dame Fortune smiles on a guy. In 2017, I was in three leagues. The only player I had in all of them was Hunt. He was incredible. His career took a major backward step, but, as the clear No. 2 guy in Cleveland – he hasn’t had more than 17 touches in a game – he has managed to rush for 275 yards and has scored five touchdowns in his last three games.

With Nick Chubb down for a month or more, Hunt has every chance to relive his eye-popping rookie season.

Tom Brady, QB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The word, as it has been every time Brady has struggled in the first couple of games, was that he was washed up. He’s hit the wall. In his first two games with the Bucs, he didn’t hit 240 yards, had as many interceptions (3) as touchdowns and had a passer rating under 80.0.

In the last two games? 666 passing yards (make what you want out of that) with eight touchdowns, one pick and a passer rating over 116.0. Seems like the Brady we remember…again.

D.K. Metcalf, WR, Seattle Seahawks

If consistency is what you’re looking for, look no further. In four games, he has caught four passes in each. That would be reason for benching in a lot of leagues. But, he has yardage totals of 95, 92, 110 and 106. He has averaged 23 yards a catch or better in every game (25.2 overall) and has scored a touchdown in three of four games.

Metcalf is going to be a superstar and won’t be had as reasonably as he has been his first two season on fantasy draft day. Russ is going to get him paid – whether with Seattle or somewhere else.

Antonio Gibson, RB, Washington Football Team

This is a sneaky play designed for being an option when bye weeks hit. He hasn’t rushed for more than 55 yards in any game, but his carry-share has been going up significantly. He has scored a rushing touchdown in each of the last three games and his competition in the Washington backfield is quickly disappearing, while his is stock is going up.

Nobody with other viable options will start Gibson, but he could be nice to have on your roster as a throw-in on a trade to stash in case COVID times get desperate.

Fantasy Football Fallers

Josh Jacobs, RB, Oakland Raiders

Jacobs was selected on fantasy rosters to be that owner’s No. 1 running back. When he rushed for three touchdowns in Week 1, he was locked into lineups regardless of what followed. Since then, his rushing attempts have dropped (27-16-15), his yardage has dropped (88-71-48), he is little more than a check-down receiver and he hasn’t scored a touchdown. You can’t bench him because of his role in the Vegas offense. You may want to. You just can’t.

DeSean Jackson, WR, Philadelphia Eagles

Jackson is a polarizing player. By any measure, he should have Julian Edelman-style reception numbers, yet he has never been able to be anything more than a one-trick pony. And, in his second run in Philadelphia, he’s been cashing checks and showing nothing. A quarter of the way through the season, he has 10 catches for 121 yards, no touchdowns and is nursing an injury. If you have him on your roster, cut him or trade him immediately. He’s taking up space that could be better utilized by someone else.

Evan Engram, TE, New York Giants

In leagues in which tight ends are mandatory, there have been a lot of big days posted along the way. Not by Engram. He is the Giants leading receiver in terms of targets (30) and catches (17), but he’s Marcedes Lewis 2.0.

For all his athleticism and talent, he averaged 7.7 yards a catch with only one of more than 12 yards and has no touchdowns. Those in TE-required leagues likely aren’t benching him, but they’re getting beat in their weekly position battles by their opponents because Engram is giving them scraps.

David Montgomery, RB, Chicago Bears

Montgomery was one of those guys in draft rankings that was expected to become an elite fantasy back. You shook the Magic 8-Ball. “All Signs Point to Yes.”

The Bears have been playing light’s out defense, which typically gets a running back a lot of play. But, through four games, Montgomery has just 53 carries for 218 yards and no touchdowns – and 24-72-0 rushing numbers over the last two – and his only touchdown was on a check-down pass that broke wide open. He was drafted to be an NFL RB1, but hasn’t showed it.

Irv Smith, TE, Minnesota Vikings

When Minnesota drafted Smith last year, the thought was that he would take over the role Kyle Rudolph has as one of the most potent Red Zone tight ends in the league. Instead, through four games, Smith has been healthy, but targeted just six times, catching two passes for 14 yards and no touchdowns. He’s rendered himself unplayable and, at this point, most people who took a flyer on him have bailed.

The Bears are the only team without a rushing touchdown this season

The Bears’ recent Week 4 outing was a reminder this run game is an unfinished product, so it makes sense they’ve yet to score a rushing TD.

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Through four games this season, it’s been more of the same from the Chicago Bears on offense. While receivers Allen Robinson and Darnell Mooney have been the bright spots on offense, there have been more concerns that have overshadowed that.

The Bears offense has been searching for an identity dating back to last season, and Matt Nagy believes they found it in running the football. And it seemed to work through the first three weeks, where the offensive line showed improvement and David Montgomery was hitting open holes and getting significant gains. It opened up play-action, which allowed both quarterbacks Nick Foles and Mitchell Trubisky to find some success.

But Week 4’s game against the Indianapolis Colts was a reminder that this run game is far from an established product. The Bears were held to just 28 rushing yards on 16 carries, which is just unacceptable for an offense trying to find a balance.

In case you were looking for another concerning stat, the Bears are the only team in the NFL that has yet to score a rushing touchdown through these first four games.

Montgomery has scored one touchdown this season — a 28-yard catch-and-run touchdown from Trubisky. Aside from that, Montgomery hasn’t had many chances to pound the ball in from the goal-line.

The Bears will need to find a way to get the run game going again, especially as they prepare to face a Tampa Bay Buccaneers defense that’s allowing just 64.3 rushing yards per game, which is the second best in the NFL.

David Montgomery says he’s not trying to fill void left by Tarik Cohen’s injury

David Montgomery isn’t known as a pass-catching running back. Instead, he’s a traditional banger who does his best work between the tackles on early downs. That perception could be changing soon. With Tarik Cohen, the team’s primary pass-catching …

David Montgomery isn’t known as a pass-catching running back. Instead, he’s a traditional banger who does his best work between the tackles on early downs.

That perception could be changing soon.

With Tarik Cohen, the team’s primary pass-catching back, lost for the season with a torn ACL, Montgomery will have to shoulder at least some of the load as a receiver out of the backfield.

Montgomery caught 25 passes for 185 yards and one touchdown as a rookie and proved at Iowa State that he’s certainly a capable receiver. He caught 48 passes over his final two seasons as a Cyclone and was considered a Kareem Hunt-like prospect during the 2019 NFL draft process.

Through three games this year, Montgomery has just six catches for 64 yards and one score. He’ll have to produce at a higher rate than that for the Bears’ offense to hit on all cylinders.

“I’m not really here to fill a void,” Montgomery said this week. “I’m just here to come in and play what I need to play and go out and do me and bring whatever I can to the table.”

He’ll have to bring more catches to that table. At the very least, he’s going to get more touches, according to Bears coach Matt Nagy.

“David is only going to keep getting better and possibly [get] more carries,” Nagy said.

Keys for the Colts defense vs. Bears in Week 4

Keys for the defense in Week 4.

The Indianapolis Colts (2-1) have been on a tear recently thanks to the dominating performances from their defensive unit. Now, that side of the ball gets a test with the undefeated Chicago Bears (3-0) in Week 4.

The Bears offense isn’t a unit that should scare anyone, but they do have the potential to put up points. Now with Nick Foles as the starting quarterback, it could keep the Bears offense more competitive throughout the game—evident from his 16-point comeback in Week 3.

Looking to keep their hot streak alive, here are three keys for the Colts defense in Week 4:

Allen Robinson must be contained

The Colts defense hasn’t been tested a whole lot this season, but they will have a challenge in stopping Robinson. The 28-year-old is the focus of the passing game for the Bears and will continue to be so for Foles. The Colts are seemingly getting Rock Ya-Sin back, but it will still be a tough challenge.

Robinson had a breakout game against the Falcons—a pretty bad defense—but the Colts have to be weary that he doesn’t take over the game. He has all of the skills in the world to be a true No. 1 wide receiver in the league, and he has to be the priority in the passing game.

Key on David Montgomery

With Tarik Cohen out for the season with a torn ACL, the Bears will be rolling with the second-year back in Montgomery for a three-down role. It will be the first time in his young career that we’ve seen him get this much work, but the Colts should make sure he doesn’t enjoy a big day.

The Bears offense doesn’t really have the weapons to dominate the game against what has been a dominant Colts defense. Stopping the run is their priority every week, but Montgomery is the only one they have to focus on in the backfield.

Keep getting pressure with four

Entering this week, the Colts are the team with the second-lowest blitz percentage in the NFL at just 11.8%. This is largely because they have been successful in getting pressure with just four pass-rushers. The opposition hasn’t been great, but the Colts are still dominating in the trenches.

The Bears have allowed 31 pressures in three games to open the season, per Pro Football Focus, so the Colts should be able to get to Foles without having to get too creative with their numbers. If they can generate consistent pressure with four as they have in the last two weeks, they should come out with another strong performance.

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Mitch Trubisky on Bears’ rushing offense: ‘It’s nice to have an identity’

The Chicago Bears’ revamped rushing attack is quickly becoming the offense’s new identity in 2020.

The Chicago Bears (2-0) are a different team in 2020 than they were in 2019. It’s obvious to anyone who watched last year’s club fall woefully short of its preseason Super Bowl expectations. The 2020 Bears are one of just 11 remaining undefeated teams and have the early look of an NFC North contender.

It’s fair to say Chicago hasn’t exactly restored confidence in their ability to make a run for the Lombardi Trophy. But one thing we do know is that this year’s Bears offense can run the football. At least, so far.

David Montgomery, Tarik Cohen, and the cast of Bears ball-carriers is getting the job done. And no player is benefitting more from the improved rushing attack than Mitch Trubisky, who’s averaging 1.6 more yards per attempt on play action in 2020 than he did in 2019.

“I think it just creates rhythm for our offense and it’s nice to have an identity,” quarterback Mitch Trubisky said of Chicago’s running game this week. “We know what we can lean on, and that’s our run game and our O-line up front creating holes and establishing the line of scrimmage.”

Through two games this season, Montgomery has 29 carries for 146 yards — a healthy five yards per carry — and has looked like a markedly improved player.

Sure, he deserves a lot of the credit, but the offensive line has been doing its part too. New offensive line coach Juan Castillo installed a revamped running scheme during the offseason and it’s paying dividends early in the schedule.

Chicago’s run the ball 60 times for 284 yards as a team, is averaging 4.7 yards per carry, and is forcing opposing defenses to respect their ground attack.

“It’s nice to lean on that and it’s something we feel comfortable with,” Trubisky said. “So we’re just going to keep getting better and keep going with it.”

Bears RB David Montgomery questionable to return with neck injury

Bears running back David Montgomery is questionable to return following a neck injury sustained in the second quarter vs. Giants.

Just one series after Giants running back Saquon Barkley was carted off the field with an apparent knee injury, Bears running back David Montgomery exited the game after landing on his head.

Montgomery jumped over a pile and came down hard on his head. He remained down on the ground before slowly walking off the field without any assistance.

Montgomery has officially been listed as questionable to return with a neck injury.

The Bears lead the Giants 10-0 in the second quarter.