Chicago Bears: 5 Players to watch in Week 15 vs. Green Bay Packers

Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images
Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images /
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Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images
Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images /

Jordan Howard needs to build on his fine performance in Week 14

After all the talk about what’s wrong with running back Jordan Howard, he broke out against the Rams. He rushed for over 100 yards (101) for the first time this season. Also, he had an excellent 5.3 yards per carry average. His big chunks of yards helped keep Trubisky clean. In addition to the offensive line playing great, the Rams tough front line had to respect Howard and not just tee off on Trubisky.

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Howard has struggled in head coach Matt Nagy’s new system. At times, he seems lost. He seems to over think things, which hurts his decision-making. That also makes him slower to hit the open holes.

He had no troubles against the Rams, however. He hit the holes quickly and played more naturally. He was the Jordan Howard we saw over his first two seasons.

He should build on that and repeat his performance. His best game before facing the Rams was against the Packers on opening night. He had 82 yards rushing (5.47 yards per carry) and another 25 yards receiving. He kept the Packers off-balanced with his runs, giving Trubisky opportunities to make big plays. Nagy went away from Howard for some reason and the Bears ultimately lost the game. I don’t think Nagy makes that same mistake again, especially seeing how he performed in Week 14.

The Packers rank 24th in rushing yards allowed and 21st in rushing touchdowns allowed. The Bears should give Howard the ball early and have him help Trubisky scrub off more rust. He should then get it later in the game to hopefully seal the game and give the Bears the division title. Hopefully, if that happens, they could have Club Dub on the 50-yard line.