Tag: Lamar Miller

Bears RB Lamar Miller could get more carries after bye week

Chicago Bears running back Lamar Miller is trending in the right direction and could receive more carries after the team’s Week 11 bye

Chicago Bears running back David Montgomery couldn’t clear the NFL’s concussion protocol in time to suit up in Week 10’s Monday night game against the Minnesota Vikings, which opened the door for wide receiver-turned-running back, Cordarrelle Patterson, to make his claim for more reps in the backfield.

It didn’t go so well for the kick returner extraordinaire.

Patterson finished the game with 12 carries for 30 yards, a stat line that’s even worse than the 3.6 yards per carry that Montgomery’s managed to generate this season. But that doesn’t mean Montgomery’s gig as the bell-cow back is necessarily safe; Lamar Miller is still lurking.

According to running backs coach Charles London, Miller’s opportunities will increase after the Bears’ bye week despite not receiving any carries against the Vikings and catching just two passes for six yards.

“We’re gonna continue to work him into the game plan, try to get him some carries each week,” London said. “But it’s just kinda how things shook out.”

London doesn’t need to see much from Miller to know he can contribute to the Bears’ offense. He coached him with the Texans and saw the former 1,000-yard back at his best.

“Having seen Lamar before, he’s as close as I’ve seen him to being himself,” London said. “He has all the confidence in the world in his knee. The explosion’s there, the burst is there, so I look forward to getting him going in the future.”

Bears activate C Cody Whitehair from reserve/COVID-19 list, add RB Lamar Miller to active roster

Chicago announced several moves on Monday ahead of their game vs. the Vikings, including activating Cody Whitehair and adding Lamar Miller.

Reinforcements are on their way for the Chicago Bears ahead of their primetime matchup with the Minnesota Vikings.

The team announced a bevy of moves on Monday afternoon, most notably activating center Cody Whitehair from the reserve/COVID-19 list.

The Bears also added running back Lamar Miller and offensive lineman Eric Kush from the practice squad, signed defensive tackle Daniel McCullers from the practice squad, and promoted quarterback Tyler Bray from the practice squad as a COVID-19 replacement, per Larry Mayer of Chicagobears.com.

Whitehair was sidelined for the Bears game against the New Orleans Saints two weeks ago due to a calf injury suffered on Oct. 26 against the Los Angeles Rams. He then missed last Sunday’s loss against the Tennessee Titans after being placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list earlier in the week.

Miller, now in his ninth NFL season, will make his Bears debut and see his first action since tearing his ACL in a preseason game with the Houston Texans in 2019. The former Pro-Bowl back spent the first half of the season the team’s practice squad and will fill in for an injured David Montgomery, who was ruled out after suffering a concussion in last week’s game.

Kush makes his Bears season debut as well, returning to Chicago for the first time since 2018. He spent three seasons with the Bears from 2016-18, but missed 2017 due to a torn hamstring injury. He started all 16 games for the Cleveland Browns in 2019, but he was released earlier this year. He signed with the Las Vegas Raiders but did not play a snap after going on injured reserve.

McCullers saw his first action as a Bear last week, posting four total tackles. With defensive tackle John Jenkins out of the lineup for the second time this season. Bray, meanwhile, will serve as the Bears backup quarterback with Mitchell Trubisky still out with a shoulder injury.

The Bears and Vikings kickoff tonight at 7:15 pm CT.

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Bears RB Lamar Miller has opportunity to earn bigger role Monday night vs. Vikings

The Chicago Bears running game has been downright brutal in 2020. Second-year back David Montgomery’s performance has fallen short of expectations but has been excused because of the Bears’ weak offensive line. Through nine games this season, …

The Chicago Bears running game has been downright brutal in 2020. Second-year back David Montgomery’s performance has fallen short of expectations but has been excused because of the Bears’ weak offensive line.

Through nine games this season, Montgomery’s carried the ball 131 times for 472 yards and just one rushing touchdown. He’s averaging 3.6 yards per carry, which ranks 44th among 47 qualifying running backs, per ESPN.

The stats don’t tell the full story about Montgomery’s season. He’s running hard. He’s making defenders miss. He’s earning every yard, even if he isn’t gaining many.

But the NFL isn’t a league that rewards good guys or hard work unless the production matches. Montgomery’s production, albeit limited because of that woeful o-line, just isn’t there. And that’s why veteran running back Lamar Miller has a massive opportunity to carve out a significant role in Chicago’s rushing attack with a big performance Monday night against the Vikings.

We won’t see much of Miller in Week 10; at least, we shouldn’t. He’s been activated from the Bears’ practice squad for the first time this season after battling back from a knee injury suffered prior to the 2019 season. But it’s not about the number of carries that Miller receives that will determine what his gig is moving forward. It’s the quality of his carries; it’s about what he does when his number is called that could lead to time-share with Montgomery.

Miller has enjoyed success as an NFL starting running back. Much more than Montgomery’s had through his first 1.5 seasons. He has two seasons over 1,000 rushing yards and a third of more than 970 yards. Miller has 40 total touchdowns over seven years.

At 29 years old, Miller doesn’t have much time left in his NFL career. Maybe another two seasons or so. But he should have enough left in the tank to help the Bears’ offense over the next seven games and beyond if Chicago is playing in January. He’ll have the chance to prove it Monday night.

10 Bears players to watch in Week 10 vs. Vikings

The Bears will face the Vikings looking to break their three-game skid. Here are 10 players to keep an eye on.

The Chicago Bears have fallen from grace. After starting 5-1, they’ve lost three straight games and went from potential top seed in the NFC to “in the hunt” for the postseason. Now, they have a must-win game ahead of the bye week.

The Bears will face the Minnesota Vikings looking to break their three-game skid. Here are 10 players to keep an eye on as the Bears face the Vikings in Week 10.

5 big questions ahead of Bears’ Week 10 game vs. Vikings

Here are five storylines to watch as the Bears head into their Week 10 game against the Vikings.

The Chicago Bears are heading into their most important game of the season to date, where they’ll host the Minnesota Vikings on Monday Night Football. Chicago will be looking to regain some momentum that’s been lost in a three-game losing streak. But it won’t be easy against a Vikings team that has found a rhythm in a two-game winning streak.

Here are five storylines to watch as the Bears head into their Week 10 game against the Vikings.

Bears promoting RB Lamar Miller to active roster for Vikings game

With RB David Montgomery ruled out with a concussion, the Bears will elevate veteran RB Lamar Miller to the active roster vs. Vikings.

There were concerns about depth at running back for the Chicago Bears ahead of the regular season. But with starting running back David Montgomery ruled out with a concussion for Monday night’s game against the Minnesota Vikings, that leaves Chicago without a proven running back on the roster.

Until now.

The Bears are planning on promoting veteran running back Lamar Miller from the practice squad to the active roster for the Vikings game, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

With Montgomery out, that left the Bears thin at running back with Cordarrelle Patterson, Ryan Nall, Artavis Pierce and Miller.

Patterson told reporters earlier this week that he would be the next man up if Montgomery couldn’t play. Which could certainly be the case. But it sounds like the Bears have a role carved out for Miller, who will see the field for the first time since tearing his ACL before the 2019 season.

Bears RB David Montgomery ruled out vs. Vikings

The Bears have ruled out starting RB David Montgomery (concussion) for Monday night’s game against the Vikings.

There hasn’t been much to love about the Chicago Bears’ run game this season. And things got worse with news that starting running back David Montgomery has been ruled out of Monday night’s game against the Minnesota Vikings.

Montgomery suffered a concussion in last Sunday’s loss to the Tennessee Titans. He’s remained in concussion protocol all week, but the Bears have already ruled him out for a pivotal Week 10 game.

With Montgomery out, that leaves the Bears thin at running back with Cordarrelle Patterson, Ryan Nall, Artavis Pierce and practice squad member Lamar Miller.

Patterson told reportersPatterson told reporters earlier this week that he would be the next man up if Montgomery couldn’t play, which certainly looks to be the case. But look for Miller to possibly get some touches against the Vikings.

The Bears run game ranks last in the NFL with 82.3 rushing yards per game, which says more about the offensive line than Montgomery.

It’ll be a tall task trying to get the run game going without Montgomery and more instability on the offensive line.

Bears need to give Lamar Miller a look in the backfield

It’s time for the Chicago Bears to end the Cordarrelle Patterson experiment and give Lamar Miller a try.

Heading into the 2020 season, we knew the thinnest spot on the Chicago Bears’ depth chart was at the running back position. When Tarik Cohen went down with a torn ACL, Cordarrelle Patterson was next in line to get more carries. But it’s time to end the experiment.

Patterson was signed to a two-year deal before the 2019 season to give the Bears a Swiss-Army knife similar to how he was utilized in his previous stops in New England, Oakland, and Minnesota. Yes, the Bears offensive line looks brutal once again, but Patterson isn’t the answer behind David Montgomery. The 29-year-old has 25 carries for 71 yards on the year, averaging 2.8 yards-per-attempt, including 3 carries for 1 yard in the 24-10 defeat against the Rams on Monday.

The Bears added Lamar Miller to the practice squad at the beginning of October. He’s coming off a brutal ACL recovery himself, but, by all accounts, he’s 100 percent and ready to go. The former Miami Hurricanes’ standout had a breakout season in 2014 with the Dolphins and carried that success over in three seasons with the Texans.

For a team that has historically relied on their running game, the Bears offense had just 49 yards rushing on Monday Night Football. Matt Nagy’s offense has looked pretty bad for most of the season, despite the quarterback change, scoring just 3 points.

The Bears are in a critical part of the 2020 schedule, and they are not off to an encouraging start. I’d like to see Miller promoted from the practice squad to back up Montgomery next week against the Saints. New Orleans rushing defense ranks fourth in the league, allowing 89.7 yards-per-game. The Bears need to change it up if they want to avoid another embarrassing loss.

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Bears looking forward to seeing Lamar Miller compete in running game

Former New York Jets running back Le’Veon Bell may be in the headlines following his release Tuesday night, but it’s Lamar Miller who has Chicago Bears coaches excited about the team’s running game. Bears running backs coach Charles London spoke …

Former New York Jets running back Le’Veon Bell may be in the headlines following his release Tuesday night, but it’s Lamar Miller who has Chicago Bears coaches excited about the team’s running game.

Bears running backs coach Charles London spoke with the media Tuesday and said Chicago is looking forward to seeing how healthy Miller is and whether he can add some competition to the running back room.

“I’m really looking forward to seeing him run around out there tomorrow, test the knee, get some confidence in it,” London said. “If Lamar’s healthy, he’s an explosive player. … He’s got a really diverse skill set in the run game, protection, the pass (game). So I look forward to seeing him go out there and competing.”

Miller was signed to the Bears practice squad Oct. 5 following Tarik Cohen’s season-ending ACL injury. He spent time with the New England Patriots during training camp but failed to make the final roster. Now, he’ll try to work his way into a running back rotation led by David Montgomery. Wide receiver-turned-running back Cordarrelle Patterson is currently the first option off the bench.

Miller earned a trip to the Pro Bowl as an injury replacement in 2018 after rushing for 973 yards and five touchdowns in what was his last fully healthy season. He averaged 4.6 yards per carry that year.

Montgomery’s struggles over the last two games — he’s totaled 20 carries for 56 yards  — could open the door for Miller to get some legitimate looks, although the offensive line’s failures will make it difficult for any running back to succeed regardless of their Pro Bowl resume.

The Bears travel to Carolina (3-2) to take on the Panthers and their struggling run defense in Week 6.

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.