Coming into the 2018 NFL season, the Chicago Bears were expected to once again utilize their ground game heavily. Jordan Howard put together a solid 2017 season and was projected to continue being used like a workhorse in Matt Nagy's offense. Through the Bears' first four games, Howard has not been utilized quite as much.
Despite the decrease in usage, Howard is not concerned at all about his role in the Bears' new offense. He opened up about his thoughts on the subject in an interview with the Chicago Sun-Times.
The interview specifically asked about Howard's 11 carries in the Bears' last game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
“I wasn’t frustrated. I was happy. We won. You see how much we won by. So there’s not really nothing to complain about … With a game like that, you don’t have nothing to complain about. You’ve just gotta be happy about a win.”
It has been quite some time since the Bears were considered to be a threat in the NFC. After finishing last season with a 5-11 record that left them last in the division, the Bears have come out looking to prove a point this year. They are currently 3-1 on the season and are in sole possession of first place in the NFC North.
Through the first four games of the season, Howard has carried the football 64 times for 203 yards and a touchdown. He has also caught 10 passes for 78 yards. Tarik Cohen has taken a much larger role in Matt Nagy's offense. He has racked up 139 yards on 27 carries to go along with 14 receptions for 169 yards and a touchdown.
Having two talented running backs like Howard and Cohen is a good problem. Being able to keep both running backs content and happy about winning is an even better development.
Expect to see Howard's role increase a bit more as the season progresses. Mitchell Trubisky is proving to be a solid quarterback, but the Bears will need their ground game later in the season to take pressure off of the aerial attack.
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