How Bears Can Best Activate Their Running Attack
The Bears are going into the NFL's version of a think tank, a self-scout during the bye week.
They have to find answers after their offense has plummeted so far that they're better only than the offense of Adam Gase, Dowell Loggains and the last-ranked Jets. This isn't good company to keep for a team supposedly coached by an offensive genius.
It's obvious what the Bears have to do during the week and a half before they face the Packers on Nov. 29.
Somehow, they have to find a way to run the ball.
It's not the only reason their offense embarrassed itself on Monday Night Football against the Rams and the Vikings. It's the main reason, though.
If they start running, they can at least keep their defense off the field for so long, they give defenses more to worry about than the pass and they provide a basis for their play-action passing game. This would let them get longer gains downfield in the passing attack and provides more time to pass.
It's going to be the primary concern when they look at the horror flicks that are the offensive film cut-ups of their four-game losing streak.
Here's what needs to happen in order to activate a running game covered in cobwebs since Week 3.
1. Better Offensive Line Health
The Bears had a 4-1 record when they were forced to begin games without guard James Daniels in the starting lineup. He's not coming back.
They hadn't always been able to run during those five games, but they did in the first three games and in the last two during that streak they played strong defenses who still had to respect the threat of the run and it helped free up the receivers.
Even in the week after Daniels left, Carolina had to respect the pass because the Bears were able to at least generate some running game.
Starting with the Rams game the Bears offensive line continuity fell to pieces and this is critical in the NFL for an offense.
It's basically impossible to maintain offensive success in a salary cap era in the NFL by using your sixth, seventh, eighth and ninth offensive linemen.
No one should be surprised when they are gaining 41 rushing yards behind backup lines.
They'll likely be down by two linemen when play resumes, unless Bobby Massie can return. Getting Massie back is as good as it's going to get. So it's not going to get perfect, but putting the same players on the field for successive weeks is a way to get a zone blocking scheme working again in the ground game and to protect the quarterback.
2. David Montgomery Returns
The Bears basically played Minnesota without a running game. David Montgomery is their running game.
It's ironic because the big desire by the Bears under Matt Nagy was a running game with interchangeable backs, a backfield-by-committee approach. Yet, here they are with one legitimate back.
Once Tarik Cohen was lost, they no longer had a change-up back. They never did have an acceptable proven backup to Montgomery, though. Artavis Pierce hadn't played. Obviously Cordarrelle Patterson is a kick returner and receiver acting like a back. He can run a stretch play and little else.
Ryan Nall hasn't proven capable of much beyond special teams.
They need their No. 1 back on the field. Three weeks since his concussion should be sufficient to recover from a concussion, although that's not always the case.
3. Mitchell Trubisky Returns to Start at Quarterback
This all depends on his shoulder stability. If Foles returns at quarterback, expect continued trouble establishing the run.
Getting their running game to work is the biggest reason for Trubisky's return. It certainly isn't his passing, although his passing was more effective overall than Foles' has been.
Foles is 2-5 and has a relief win against tougher competition than Trubisky faced, but he's been worse in about every passing statistic than Trubisky except completion percentage.
They don't need Trubisky the 2019 and 2020 quarterback. They need Trubisky of 2018, even 2017. They need the Trubisky willing—even too willing—to run the ball on a scramble or even a zone read.
Trubisky had 70 rushing yards this year but most of the yardage came on one lucky 45-yard run against Atlanta's defense.
Nagy tried to make Trubisky stay in the pocket and read defenses more starting last year. The Bears don't need that now. This isn't a long-term plan at quarterback. It's a quick fix to get through this year.
They need the quarterback who looks for one, and possibly the second target, then takes off and keeps the chains moving, not one studying defenses to be the future of the franchise.
Trubisky needs to forget everything he was told about buying time with his feet to find a receiver and just take off with the ball and slide. No matter how much coaches tell him he can be better as a passer who buys time with his feet, he has already proven he's at his best when he simply looks, then runs and hurts the defense with his legs. He's not a good enough passer to make buying time with his feet worthwhile.
The reason this makes the Bears better in the ground game is really the threat of a zone read, the bootleg or bootleg pass.
Defensive edges can't crash down as quickly on RPO plays or even simple running plays. It buys an extra second for run blockers to take advantage of defensive player s reading run or pass, and Montgomery can go from a 1-yard gain to a 3-yard gain or a 3-yard gain to a 5-yard gain.
They also need the scrambling yardage from Trubisky because the offensive line is never going to be 100% what it should be due to Daniels' season-ending pectoral injury, so getting away from the pass rush with his feet is going to be
4. Commit to Run
It's obviously easier to commit to the run if it's working. They have to run longer and deeper into games even if losing by a reasonable margin.
The Bears are last in the NFL in average rushing attempts partly because they couldn't run and so they ran less. If it works better, they'd stick to it more.
Still, it's not Matt Nagy's preference to run.
So it's fortunate he has kept play calling with Bill Lazor, whose past seems to indicate a greater appreciation for the running game's importance.
Lazor will run more and deeper into games to keep their offense better balanced, and balance is the key to finally helping out their defense with production on the other side of the ball.
Twitter: BearDigest@BearsOnMaven
