Sunday’s game against the Minnesota Vikings will make or break the Chicago Bears’ 2020 season. After beating the Houston Texans last Sunday to snap a six-game losing streak, many are excited to see what the Bears will do in Minnesota to keep their playoff hopes alive. One reason for the renewed excitement has been a resurgent offense led by a few players who could be building blocks for the Bears’ offense after this season.
David Montgomery Has Been Vital To The Bears’ Recent Offensive Output
Since the Bears’ bye week in week 11, Chicago has averaged over 29 points on offense in their last three games. The main reason has been a commitment and success with the running game led by running back David Montgomery. Montgomery has rushed for over 288 yards in the team’s last three games and has four total touchdowns. He is proving to be an explosive back as he has had two rushes for over 50 yards in the three games.
David Montgomery gets LOOSE for a 80-yard TD 💨
(via @NFL)pic.twitter.com/mZSCtHVvsZ
— B/R Gridiron (@brgridiron) December 13, 2020
When the Bears drafted Montgomery in the third round of last year’s NFL Draft, many viewed him as one of the best running backs available due to his dual-threat ability. Chicago’s second-year running back has shown he can make an impact in the rushing game and passing game. In the 13 games he has played in this season, Montgomery has caught 42 passes and has over 1000 scrimmage yards.
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If there is a coaching change, Montgomery could provide a future head coach an offensive piece to build around. Whether Ryan Pace and Matt Nagy kept for 2021, Chicago’s prime focus during the offseason will be to fix the offensive line. A better offensive line would only improve Montgomery’s game as even with the Bears’ current offensive line, as he is only 240 yards away from 1,000 rushing yards.
David Montgomery this season
First 9 games:
51.8 YDS/G
3.6 AVG
5 TOTAL TDLast 3 games:
96.0 YDS/G
7.4 AVG
4 TOTAL TD pic.twitter.com/cDxIBist41— StatMuse (@statmuse) December 13, 2020
Cole Kmet Is Becoming A Reliable Passing Target
One of the more exciting players from the 2020 Bears’ draft class is a tight end, Cole Kmet, from Notre Dame. Kmet has come on strong in the team’s last two games catching nine passes for 78 yards along with a touchdown against Detroit. At the start of the season, there was a lot of hype surrounding the second-round selection as he was seen as an integral part of the offense. Although Kmet showed that he was effective as a blocking tight end, he wasn’t a factor in the passing game early on.
Through the team’s first ten games, Kmet only had eight receptions with one touchdown as he was only targeted 11 times total. In his last three games alone, quarterback Mitchell Trubisky has targeted the rookie 17 times. What makes Kmet so intriguing is that he has shown an ability to catch all types of passes. He has caught contested deep passes while also being able to make short receptions in traffic.
Mitch Trubisky immediately smiled when a reporter brought up Cole Kmet's name.
Trubisky on Kmet: "He's a special player. He has the potential to be really great."
Trubisky also called David Montgomery "a special player."
(Via Bears YouTube)
— Daniel Greenberg (@ChiSportUpdates) December 17, 2020
There will be a lot more hype heading into Kmet’s second season as he will be a factor in the passing game. A tight end that can catch short and deep passes is a desired commodity in the NFL. The aspect in which the Bears’ haven’t used Kmet yet has been on 50/50 or jump ball situations. This isn’t because the tight end isn’t capable, but because Chicago has tight end Jimmy Graham in that role, who has six touchdown catches in red-zone situations.
Cole Kmet continues to impress fans. Future is bright for him. #DaBears
— The Sky Is Falling Podcast (@SkyIsFallingPod) December 14, 2020
Darnell Mooney Will Be A Consistent Threat
Rookie wide receiver Darnell Mooney is becoming one of the steals of the 2020 Draft due to his production this season. Mooney has caught 42 passes for 450 yards and has scored three touchdowns. He proved to be a reliable target at the start of the season as he averaged three receptions and 36 yards through the team’s first game. Mooney has averaged over 10 yards per reception this season as he has proven to be a bright spot in a Bears’ passing attack that has struggled this season.
Bears have found something in Darnell Mooney in this years draft pic.twitter.com/Enq2Sy4yPz
— Football Nerds (@FootballNerds_) December 13, 2020
What makes Mooney so important going ahead is his capability to be both a possession and deep ball wide receiver. Although the Bears’ have used him in the slot, the rookie wide receiver has made big plays lined up outside. When the Bears’ drafted Mooney, they projected him to be a deep threat receiver, but he has developed into so much more as the season has progressed.
There is a good chance that the Bears may not re-sign Pro-Bowl wide receiver Allen Robinson after the season and could lose him in free agency. Mooney, although he wouldn’t be able to fill the void left by Robinson, would make a quality number two receiver if Chicago can find another number one receiver. The rookie receiver will only get better and appears to be a seasoned route runner, which is rare for rookie receivers.
Darnell Mooney 💨
pic.twitter.com/Xk4wY9TMnw— Footballism™ (@FootbaIIism) December 11, 2020
Chicago’s remaining three games will determine the direction for the franchise for the next few seasons. If the team makes the playoffs, it appears likely that Pace and Nagy will be retained for one more season. If they fail to make the playoffs, the Bears’ franchise will probably begin a full rebuild starting in the offseason. No matter what happens, the Bears have young offensive weapons in Montgomery, Kmet, and Mooney to build around.
