Chicago Bears: 5 thoughts on another loss to the Green Bay Packers

Herbert will surely see more plays go his way

One of the pleasant aspects of the Chicago Bears offense has been the running game. They came into the game with 634 rushing yards, good for ninth in the league. They averaged 126.8 yards per game.

That average went up as the Bears ran for 140 yards against Green Bay. What we found out is that Herbert, their sixth-round pick in this year’s draft, was a very good pick for general manager Ryan Pace.

Herbert was supposed to spend most of the season helping out on special teams as a returner. Then starting running back David Montgomery went down with a knee injury. That injury made backup Damien Williams the starter and Herbert became the backup.

Herbert had a good debut as the backup in Week 5 against the Las Vegas Raiders. He gained 75 yards on 18 carries, helping the Bears win.

Just days before the Green Bay game, Williams tested positive for COVID-19. He would not play and now Herbert would be the starter. He did not disappoint, though. He gained 97 yards on 19 carries and recorded his first career touchdown.

With Herbert, the Bears have themselves a very tough running game. Montgomery was playing well before he went down, recording two 100-yard games and 3 touchdowns. Williams averages 4.3 yards per run and has 2 touchdowns.

Herbert now has 179 rushing yards and averages 4.5 yards per run. Even with Wiliams coming back, Herbert earned the trust of the coaching staff to see a lot more snaps. He’s shown a very good vision. On multiple plays, he used that vision to cut back when the run he was supposed to make wouldn’t work. He was able to diagnose the play quickly and change direction and make nice runs. He has good instincts.

When Montgomery returns the Bears will have a three-headed monster in the backfield. All three players will be fresh as the game progresses and the Bears will be able to have a lot of rushing yards.