5 burning questions the Bears must answer in 2019

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LAKE FOREST, IL – MAY 22: Chicago Bears running back Tarik Cohen (29) warms up in action during the Chicago Bears organized team activities or OTA on May 22, 2019 at Halas Hall in Lake Forest, IL. (Photo by Robin Alam/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

1. Can the running game be a bigger factor in 2019?

When it comes to this franchise, there’s nothing like a productive ground attack to compliment the defense. Over the past three seasons, the team was led on the ground by workhorse Jordan Howard. A fifth-round draft choice from Indiana University in 2016, he finished in the league his rookie campaign with 1,313 yards rushing on 252 carries, to go along with six touchdowns. He followed that up one year later with 276 attempts for 1,122 yards and nine scores.

Enter new head coach Matt Nagy and a different offensive approach. For the third straight year, Howard did total at least 250 carries, running for 935 yards and nine scores. But once again, he was not a big part of the passing attack. In three seasons and a total of 47 regular-season contests, the former Hoosier has totaled 72 receptions, good for 568 yards and one score. In ’18, Tarik Cohen led the Bears with 71 catches, totaling 725 yards and five touchdowns.

So Howard was dealt to the Philadelphia Eagles this offseason and expected to fill a big void there. This past year, Nagy’s squad finished 11th in the NFL by averaging 121.1 yards per game on the ground. Will the Bears approach those numbers this season?

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Along with Cohen, the Bears’ backfield now features Mike Davis –late of the Seattle Seahawks – and 2019 draft choices David Montgomery (3-Iowa State) and Kerrith Whyte Jr. (7-Florida Atlantic). The versatile Cohen has amassed at least 1,500 total combined yards in each of his first two seasons. Can he handle an even bigger workload this fall, most notably from scrimmage? Stay tuned.

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