Winning on the road, in general, is never an easy thing. The Chicago Bears know that well. Beating the Dolphins down in Miami is especially difficult They found that out with four losses in their first five trips down there. Also, it’s important to remember that under Adam Gase the Dolphins are 12-6 at home since 2016. They are 7-12 away from it. So this is not a game the Bears should take lightly.
The question becomes how? What must the Bears do to pull off a win? Most would agree it starts with the defense. The Dolphins offense has struggled of late, particularly quarterback Ryan Tannehill. Getting to him with their great pass rush led by Khalil Mack sounds like the easiest solution. Then there’s Mitch Trubisky. He needs to continue his improvement after a breakout against Tampa Bay two weeks ago.
However, when looking back at the history between these two teams, there’s a common thread when examining the times the Bears managed to win down in Miami. Spoiler alert. It had nothing to do with either the defense or the quarterback play.
☀️ State bound. pic.twitter.com/pk6zRdZRY7
— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) October 13, 2018
Subscribe to the BFR podcast and ride shotgun with Dave and Ficky as they break down Bears football like nobody else.
Chicago Bears win in Miami by committing to the run
It may sound old-fashioned but good things have happened for the Bears when they commit to running the football against the Dolphins in Miami. In their three victories down there dating back to 1994, they ran the ball 30, 37, and 40 times respectively. It doesn’t have to be successful either.
The Bears had just 62 yards in that ’94 game despite running it 30 times. Yet the willingness to stick with it led them to a crucial 10 points in the 4th quarter to seal the victory. The Dolphins like to say they use the hot weather of Miami to their advantage, sapping opponents with long drives so they’re spent by the end of the game.
That’s what persistent running can do.
By contrast, three of the four games the Bears have lost since 1971 down there were games they failed to run it at least 30 times. The only one they lost despite topping that mark was the famous defeat in 1985. That was due to the team turning it over four times in the game.
The Bears have awaited their opportunity to turn Jordan Howard loose this season. It sounds like he’s grown frustrated after the worst start to his career thus far. This game may offer them their biggest chance yet to do so. Miami’s defensive line is banged up and the team ranks a pedestrian 20th against the run.
Stopping Howard is a tough job on any day. Trying to stop him and Tarik Cohen 30 or more times in 85-90 degree heat? That’s a special kind of torture. Chicago needs to keep that in mind.
