David Montgomery Love

[IE]

Gave some props to JP Holtz the other day. Kid is a keeper. I squint and kinda see my old friend Tyler Clutts.

Anyway... I'm finding some more positive here in the valley of the shadow of death ... endured the pain and watched the game again. The silver lining? David Montgomery has the Heart of a King.

If there are 50 offensive plays, it needs to be going his way 30 times (e.g. 25 rushes and 5 pass attemps). If there are 60, make that 35-40 touches.

The only reason he's not a 1000 yard rusher with 400+ receiving yards at the end of the season is he is treated like an afterthought on this team. What a mistake this is. And all other areas of the offense are not what they could be, due to the criminal neglect of the use of 32.

He should be the focal point. He's the star.

[UOK]

If this kid can pull of this fair-to-solid play with THIS offensive line and a playbook that the NFL has figured out, he's got great skill.

[G08]

Love the kid, but good God damn he needs to catch that mother fucking screen pass that hit him dead in the hands. That was 6.

[Richie]

Love the kid, but good God damn he needs to catch that mother fucking screen pass that hit him dead in the hands. That was 6.

Yup. At least it should have gone down inside of the 20.

That play leaves you wondering how the game could have gone differently. It could have been 20-19 Bears with us going for two in the 4th quarter. Could/would have scored 22 unanswered in a very short amount of time. All the momentum would have been behind the Bears and all of the pressure on Philly.

[wab]

I love me some Montgomery. I think he's going to be a really good RB in this league. I think he will be even better when Tarik Cohen isn't around.

[G08]

Love the kid, but good God damn he needs to catch that mother fucking screen pass that hit him dead in the hands. That was 6.

Yup. At least it should have gone down inside of the 20.

That play leaves you wondering how the game could have gone differently. It could have been 20-19 Bears with us going for two in the 4th quarter. Could/would have scored 22 unanswered in a very short amount of time. All the momentum would have been behind the Bears and all of the pressure on Philly.

That's the story of this whole season, man. We seemingly got every single break last year. Then the playoffs hit and it seems like that double doink was start of our run of bad luck. Hopefully that shit stops after last week.

Sorry for de-railing the tread -- carry on

[The Marshall Plan]

Monty is the real deal and he’s doing it in a one dimensional offense. The Kid is awesome.

Ever notice that he looks like a young Mike Singletary facially?

[IE]

Yeah, that drop was a back breaker in that situation. I'm sure he's kicking himself. Let's give him more, so missing one won't hurt so much.

I personally think the blocking will get better with more reps and most Olines get more lathered up and in synch when they're having some rhythm and successes.

Yes more 32 vs 29. 29 is a cool kid and good PR. Good leadership for sure. But should get maybe 5-6 ish opportunities a game including pass attempts. Then Nagy won't waste 32's inside carries on 29. And 29 will try harder to get up field because he'll know he has only THIS chance to get the yards. I think right now he's just running east-west assuming he's going to get a bunch more carries and running out of bounds thinking "ok next time I'll see somewhere to cut".

[IE]

duplicate

[crueltyabc]

His performance is so tangled up with the problems of this offense that it's hard to prove anything with statistics, but based on the eye test, I gotta say this kid has it. His touted contact balance translates to the NFL, and he's made a few very good receptions that makes me believe that he'll be an asset in a successful passing offense... if he ever gets to play for a team with a successful passing offense.

[Boris13c]

I formation with Montgomery as the primary back is the key to this offense becoming at least competent ... the tape speaks for itself ... and he should definitely be the primary back on any short yardage play ... I am so fucking tired of Mr. east-west gadget man Cohen taking the handoff and running 20 yards sideways to gain nothing

[BR0D1E86]

I love me some Montgomery. I think he's going to be a really good RB in this league. I think he will be even better when Tarik Cohen isn't around.

Yeah, a part of our problem is we have two gimmick guys who said get 3-5 touches a game in Cohen and Patterson, and Nagy is force feeding both of them. That and Cohen is now garbage. The final point of this offense has to be power running game with Montgomery getting at least 20 carries a game. Build off of that.

Not very genius-y though, so I don't expect Nagy to do it.

[Xee]

Yeah, a part of our problem is we have two gimmick guys who said get 3-5 touches a game in Cohen and Patterson, and Nagy is force feeding both of them. That and Cohen is now garbage.

I've seen more than a few people say this about Cohen but, while I agree is production has been abysmal this year, I am not ready to write him off. I might be having a biased memory here but it seems like he hasn't really had an opportunity to make any plays. How many times have we seen him be asked to run right up the gut? How many times have we seen him get a hand off and already have defenders closing in on him due to the line not blocking for shit, which makes him have to try to run around them and end up getting negative yards? How many times have we seen him actually get the ball in open space where he can use his quickness to his advantage?

I'm not saying that he doesn't sometimes make bad decisions on his own but the same can be said for any player. And really, besides Robinson, which player on offense has played anywhere near the level they did last year? Does that mean we need to get rid of everyone else too?

[Boris13c]

Cohen has gotten plenty of chances, but not what I would consider quality chances because they were plays he is not suited for

you're on the goal line and you give it to Cohen up the middle and he tries to use all 5' 6" to jump for the endzone? it failed miserably and is a play that should be deleted from the playbook

Cohen IMO is not an every down back ... he is a gadget guy who can do very good things in limited opportunities catered to him ... and he does not have the vision to be a true RB, as evidenced by his 20 yard east-west run for no gain near the goal line when there was a hole created off tackle for him to run north-south and maybe score ... he didn't even look at the inside hole (maybe he didn't trust his line to create one?) and thought, incorrectly, he could out run everyone to the outside

he is an interesting guy who is not being used properly

[AZ_Bearfan]

I like Cohen, but damn if he doesn't run towards the sideline faster than green grass through a goose.

[Richie]

The Lions run D is putrid. If he has a good day (which is probably an expectation) he could climb over 4 YPC and 500 yards on the season. With pretty solid pass catching numbers. I think that should halt a lot of the Howard talk.

[Xee]

he is an interesting guy who is not being used properly

Exactly. And to your comment on him not being an every down back, I believe he made a comment this season to the same affect. If you look at a highlight reel of last season, you'll see the difference in how much space the o-line gives him as well as how many receptions he had as a receiver:

[BR0D1E86]

@Xee , I agree entirely that he's being misused. I just also think he's making the least of what opportunities he is getting this season.

[Mikefive]

All David Montgomery needs is the rest of the team to do the jobs they're capable of doing. In the 2018 Bears offense, Montgomery would be a wow news item. Instead, he is probably the 2nd best offensive player on a bad team that's going nowhere.

[Boris13c]

he is an interesting guy who is not being used properly

Exactly. And to your comment on him not being an every down back, I believe he made a comment this season to the same affect. If you look at a highlight reel of last season, you'll see the difference in how much space the o-line gives him as well as how many receptions he had as a receiver:

is Nagy simply not able to assess what his players can and cannot do? if so, that is a debilitating coaching weakness that nothing good can come from

[G08]

Nagy needs a counter punch... and he hasn't found it yet.

[Richie]

@Xee , I agree entirely that he's being misused. I just also think he's making the least of what opportunities he is getting this season.

Hmm...

It's interesting.

How many times have you watched a play drawn up to Cohen and thought "God Cohen, you sucked on that play"?

Nothing like that stands out. It's typically "What the hell are we doing that for?" directed at Nagy and how we're putting Cohen to use.

I cannot say I'm upset with how Cohen is playing. Some people criticize Cohen for going east/west too much. I don't think it's as bad as others and I think it is also a result of him DESPERATELY wanting to make a play.

He's been a very good punt returner.

[The Marshall Plan]

Nagy needs a counter punch... and he hasn't found it yet.

Nagy has the personnel to win football games. Nagy's weakness is his pride. His counter punch will show up when he swallows his pride.

As a motivational leader and a culture setter, it might not get better than Matt Nagy.

He is not good at all, and this is easily his biggest weakness, at adapting to his environment. Unfortunately that is a catastrophic problem. With that kind of attitude humanity never would've left The Dark Ages.

IMHO, he got his first job as a HC and like every highly motivated new employee he seeks out to make a huge impact. There's nothing wrong with that. The problem is that he goes about it by jackhammering a square peg into a round hole instead of finding a middle ground.

The Reality:

1) Trey Burton is a bust. We don't have a TE.
2) The OL has shit the bed for the better part of the season.
3) For a variety of reasons, Mitch is struggling.
4) The defense gets tired from being on the field all game long.

What do we see on the field that adapts to that? Nothing. What he should be doing is committing to the run, using PA to help the run and the pass, having Mitch rollout and playing to Mitch's strengths. Nagy isn't doing that. He's still running the same offense.

The sad part is that even if Nagy changes now and we start winning. It's too late. The season is already over. Maybe he needs to learn this way. IDK.

[wab]

The sad part is that even if Nagy changes now and we start winning. It's too late. The season is already over. Maybe he needs to learn this way. IDK.

I mean, I'd still like the team to win which would result in the overall development of Mitch and Nagy and for the team to progress overall.
I feel like you had all your eggs in the Super Bowl or Bust basket this season and now that it isn't a reality, you want the whole thing to come crashing down in a heap of ashes.

There's a little middle ground in there...

Maybe I'm not as enraged as everyone else because I wasn't convinced a championship was a possibility yet. Playoffs again? Ideally. But Super Bowl? I was looking more at 2020.

[The Marshall Plan]

The sad part is that even if Nagy changes now and we start winning. It's too late. The season is already over. Maybe he needs to learn this way. IDK.

I mean, I'd still like the team to win which would result in the overall development of Mitch and Nagy and for the team to progress overall.
I feel like you had all your eggs in the Super Bowl or Bust basket this season and now that it isn't a reality, you want the whole thing to come crashing down in a heap of ashes.

There's a little middle ground in there...

Maybe I'm not as enraged as everyone else because I wasn't convinced a championship was a possibility yet. Playoffs again? Ideally. But Super Bowl? I was looking more at 2020.

Yes, you’re right. I was in the Super Bowl Or Bust group. Coming off of a 12-4 season and a double doink away from maybe winning the whole thing. My expectations were based on Mitch and Nagy having a full offseason to develop, Mack and Roquan in camp for a full offseason and I really liked (and still like) having Pagano over Fangio. I would never slight Vic Fangio but Pagano is more aggressive and we have the personnel for that style of defense.

I was also expecting this team to come out and the start the season like escaped mental patients because of the way last season ended. They don’t display that killer instinct. I think that’s a function of coaching.

In sports, the worst thing to be is mediocre. I either want the Bears to be a playoff team or I want them to go 2-14 and get a high draft pick. None of this 7-9 to 9-7 stuff because its harder to really identify what to fix. In this situation we don’t even have the luxury of the draft choice b/c of the Mack trade. I’m just hoping a disastrous season gets Pace to make changes at HC and QB.

What scares about mediocrity in this case is that it allows the situation to be dragged out for a couple more years hoping for the lightbulb to turn on.

The situation we are in is horrible, but it CAN be fixed without a multi year rebuild. The defense is built to win now. The offense has a lot of potential. Next season can still be great.

[wab]

That just seems like you are setting yourself up for disappointment every year. You are basically saying if the Bears don’t go like 9-1 in their first 10 games, you are out on the season.

[IE]

I read that the reason Cohen was in on that first dive was there was potentially some question about a fumble on the play before, and the Bears went to snap with the same personnel to avoid a challenge. If that is the reason, I apologize for criticizing Nagy on that one. That is a fine explanation.

G - I think the counter punch should/could be 84 as a regular running back in real run formations including behind our friend Holtz. I see him as an RB and not a gadget. I thought he performed pretty well in NE as the starting RB for a couple of games last year, and is a serious threat to hit a hole hard & be gone. Better to give him 5-6 or even a few more real carries to spell 32 (who should be given 25 carries), and leave the gadget stuff for 29 and the other WR (which is what 29 is).

[The Marshall Plan]

That just seems like you are setting yourself up for disappointment every year. You are basically saying if the Bears don’t go like 9-1 in their first 10 games, you are out on the season.

Its relative to expectations.

There were times during the Lovie, early Trestman, and Jauron era that were more fun than now. Like the Bulls this year. I'm enjoying the hell out of watching them, but I have no expectations of them advancing in the playoffs.

[Richie]

I mean, I'd still like the team to win which would result in the overall development of Mitch and Nagy and for the team to progress overall.
I feel like you had all your eggs in the Super Bowl or Bust basket this season and now that it isn't a reality, you want the whole thing to come crashing down in a heap of ashes.

There's a little middle ground in there...

Maybe I'm not as enraged as everyone else because I wasn't convinced a championship was a possibility yet. Playoffs again? Ideally. But Super Bowl? I was looking more at 2020.

Yes, you’re right. I was in the Super Bowl Or Bust group. Coming off of a 12-4 season and a double doink away from maybe winning the whole thing. My expectations were based on Mitch and Nagy having a full offseason to develop, Mack and Roquan in camp for a full offseason and I really liked (and still like) having Pagano over Fangio. I would never slight Vic Fangio but Pagano is more aggressive and we have the personnel for that style of defense.

I was also expecting this team to come out and the start the season like escaped mental patients because of the way last season ended. They don’t display that killer instinct. I think that’s a function of coaching.

In sports, the worst thing to be is mediocre. I either want the Bears to be a playoff team or I want them to go 2-14 and get a high draft pick. None of this 7-9 to 9-7 stuff because its harder to really identify what to fix. In this situation we don’t even have the luxury of the draft choice b/c of the Mack trade. I’m just hoping a disastrous season gets Pace to make changes at HC and QB.

What scares about mediocrity in this case is that it allows the situation to be dragged out for a couple more years hoping for the lightbulb to turn on.

The situation we are in is horrible, but it CAN be fixed without a multi year rebuild. The defense is built to win now. The offense has a lot of potential. Next season can still be great.

The notion that fans should prefer being 2-14 and an overhaul/strip/rebuild away from competing. Versus 9-7 and a few tweaks away from competing is just... beyond comprehension. IMO

This team is fantastic one side of the ball with every piece in place. With talent on the offensive side of the ball as well. Just really missing that one big piece at QB. We are still just 8 games removed from a 12-4 season with an NFC North crown. We even started this season 3-1. This is really a story of a tail spin four game stretch. Yes, some bigger picture problems have potentially been exposed. But for Christ's sake... let's get a grip.

Not to mention, there's half of a football season left. Goodness gracious.

Put it this way. Teams like the Dolphins, Jets, etc. would kill to be in our spot and with this much in place. So, why for the love of god would you willingly choose to be them?

The only reason fans like this want it to all burn is because they're emotionally distraught.

[GSH]

Love the kid, but good God damn he needs to catch that mother fucking screen pass that hit him dead in the hands. That was 6.

amazing bears running back that needs to spend hours with a juggs machine. remind you of anyone else we had at that position recently?

good thing about monty compared to howard is that monty doesn't go down if you touch his shoelace