Quarterbacks rule the world. That isn’t anything new in the NFL. Teams that have them tend to win lots of games. Teams that don’t…well…don’t. The Chicago Bears haven’t had one for a long time. This is why they drafted Mitch Trubisky #2 overall in 2017. It’s also why they traded for Nick Foles earlier this year. Their search for answers remains ongoing. Could this be the year? Not according to three-time Pro Bowler Maurice Jones-Drew. He thinks the Bears’ salvation lay with running back David Montgomery instead.
Now with Jones-Drew being a former running back, he obviously has some bias in this assessment. However, his reasoning came across fair. It was less about the abilities (or lack thereof) of the two QBs and more about their supporting cast. He doesn’t see the Bears wide receiving corps as anything opposing defenses should fear.
Yes, they have Allen Robinson. Great. Anybody else? It’s nothing but question marks. This is why head coach Matt Nagy needs to stick the ball in the gut of his young running back and ride him all the way.
“No matter who’s under center this fall, though, Montgomery should be at the center of the offense. Trubisky and Foles need to lean on the run game in order to succeed in the passing game, because let’s face it: These two, with this supporting cast, aren’t going to throw all over the yard on NFL defenses. They’re just not. Montgomery has the goods to lead the Bears’ offensive charge with his vision, ability to break tackles and speed in the open field. He should see closer to 280-300 carries, easily gain 1,000-plus rushing yards and log double-digit TDs.”
David Montgomery can deliver if he gets blocking
Nagy is a quarterback at heart. He wants to run his offense through that position. It’s understandable. Still, he has to remember he doesn’t have the tools he enjoyed back in Kansas City. Robinson is good. After that it’s Anthony Miller, Jimmy Graham, Ted Ginn Jr., and Cole Kmet. Plenty of upside with those names but nothing definitive.
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Montgomery proved he could help the Bears win last season. They were 3-1 in games where he had 20+ carries. The only loss coming via two 4th quarter turnovers by Trubisky and a missed field goal by Eddy Pineiro. He averaged over four yards per carry in three of those four games as well. So clearly he’s a back that can wear a defense down if given the chance.
Jones-Drew believes he has the vision, strength and toughness to handle a heavy workload. It comes down to whether the Bears can give him the blocking to make it happen. Why else hire Juan Castillo? They want to get more physical. They want to run it. So run it.