Post by JABF on Dec 9, 2016 9:05:30 GMT -6
I really really like this guy. He's going to be very special for us for years to come. And we finally have an OL opening up holes for our RB now. Nice.
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Bears continue to see progress in rookie RB Jordan Howard
The longest run of Jordan Howard's day came early Sunday, on the second play of the Bears' first possession. In a driving snowstorm, Howard took a handoff from Matt Barkley, used a lead block from tight end Ben Braunecker and made a decisive cut behind right guard Ted Larsen. With room to run, Howard knifed into the open field, then made a quick slash to freeze 49ers safety Antoine Bethea, picking up an extra chunk on a 17-yard gain.
That was the most room Howard saw all day. On a snow-covered field, with the 49ers stacking the box, Howard had to dig deep for his fifth 100-yard outing of the season. He needed a career-high 32 carries to reach 117 yards. Yet that, in many ways, was what was most impressive about Howard's effort. With the exception of the season's first picturesque snowfall, so little about Sunday's 26-6 Bears victory classified as pretty. Eighteen of Howard's carries went for 3 yards or less.
Still, the Bears learned — if they hadn't known already — their rookie running back has it in him to be the clenched fist in their offense. No matter the conditions. No matter how heavy the workload.
"It was just his ability to stay with it and persevere," offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains said Thursday. "Because it wasn't all clean. … It was kind of a grimy game. And he grinded through it, protected the football and gave us a chance to win."
Said Howard: "The biggest difficulty, was making sure you had a wide enough base when you were cutting and then just protecting the ball. As the carries kept piling up, it definitely felt like a grind-out type of game."
The longest run of Jordan Howard's day came early Sunday, on the second play of the Bears' first possession. In a driving snowstorm, Howard took a handoff from Matt Barkley, used a lead block from tight end Ben Braunecker and made a decisive cut behind right guard Ted Larsen. With room to run, Howard knifed into the open field, then made a quick slash to freeze 49ers safety Antoine Bethea, picking up an extra chunk on a 17-yard gain.
That was the most room Howard saw all day. On a snow-covered field, with the 49ers stacking the box, Howard had to dig deep for his fifth 100-yard outing of the season. He needed a career-high 32 carries to reach 117 yards. Yet that, in many ways, was what was most impressive about Howard's effort. With the exception of the season's first picturesque snowfall, so little about Sunday's 26-6 Bears victory classified as pretty. Eighteen of Howard's carries went for 3 yards or less.
Still, the Bears learned — if they hadn't known already — their rookie running back has it in him to be the clenched fist in their offense. No matter the conditions. No matter how heavy the workload.
"It was just his ability to stay with it and persevere," offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains said Thursday. "Because it wasn't all clean. … It was kind of a grimy game. And he grinded through it, protected the football and gave us a chance to win."
Said Howard: "The biggest difficulty, was making sure you had a wide enough base when you were cutting and then just protecting the ball. As the carries kept piling up, it definitely felt like a grind-out type of game."This week the Bears will get a faster track with an indoor game at Ford Field against an opponent Howard knows well. Ten weeks ago, he made his first NFL start against the Lions and recorded his first 100-yard game, piling up 111 yards on 23 carries.
Since then, fifth-round draft pick out of Indiana has continued to develop. Loggains said he has seen the most growth in Howard's pass-protection awareness. The rookie believes film study has helped, allowing him to better understand defense's tendencies and diagnose where potential rushers are coming from.
Still, Howard's skill with the ball are what have earned him acclaim. He is now just 117 yards shy of 1,000, a milestone he could reach this weekend.
Guard Eric Kush calls Howard "a fun dude" to block for. "Even if it's not the prettiest block, we try to finish our blocks to give him a chance," Kush said. "So even if it's not a huge hole, he still has a chance to hit it and fire through little holes. He's done (well) with that."
Added defensive end Akiem Hicks: "The one thing about Howard is he's always falling forward. Even if he's met at the line, he always falls forward. You never see him get stuffed and driven back. And that's an intangible for a running back you can't really quantify."
Loggains continues to laud Howard's vision and quick feet for a back his size.
"I think it's natural," Loggains said. "I think that's what (general manager) Ryan Pace and his staff saw in him. They saw those traits and those have shown up at this level as well."
Against the 49ers, Howard scored all three Bears touchdowns, the last a 5-yarder that came as he churned his legs through the slush and the tackle attempts of DeForest Buckner, Nick Bellore and Tramaine Brock.
It's that type of finishing determination the Bears have come to love.
dwiederer@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @danwiederer
Bears continue to see progress in rookie RB Jordan Howard
The longest run of Jordan Howard's day came early Sunday, on the second play of the Bears' first possession. In a driving snowstorm, Howard took a handoff from Matt Barkley, used a lead block from tight end Ben Braunecker and made a decisive cut behind right guard Ted Larsen. With room to run, Howard knifed into the open field, then made a quick slash to freeze 49ers safety Antoine Bethea, picking up an extra chunk on a 17-yard gain.
That was the most room Howard saw all day. On a snow-covered field, with the 49ers stacking the box, Howard had to dig deep for his fifth 100-yard outing of the season. He needed a career-high 32 carries to reach 117 yards. Yet that, in many ways, was what was most impressive about Howard's effort. With the exception of the season's first picturesque snowfall, so little about Sunday's 26-6 Bears victory classified as pretty. Eighteen of Howard's carries went for 3 yards or less.
Still, the Bears learned — if they hadn't known already — their rookie running back has it in him to be the clenched fist in their offense. No matter the conditions. No matter how heavy the workload.
"It was just his ability to stay with it and persevere," offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains said Thursday. "Because it wasn't all clean. … It was kind of a grimy game. And he grinded through it, protected the football and gave us a chance to win."
Said Howard: "The biggest difficulty, was making sure you had a wide enough base when you were cutting and then just protecting the ball. As the carries kept piling up, it definitely felt like a grind-out type of game."
The longest run of Jordan Howard's day came early Sunday, on the second play of the Bears' first possession. In a driving snowstorm, Howard took a handoff from Matt Barkley, used a lead block from tight end Ben Braunecker and made a decisive cut behind right guard Ted Larsen. With room to run, Howard knifed into the open field, then made a quick slash to freeze 49ers safety Antoine Bethea, picking up an extra chunk on a 17-yard gain.
That was the most room Howard saw all day. On a snow-covered field, with the 49ers stacking the box, Howard had to dig deep for his fifth 100-yard outing of the season. He needed a career-high 32 carries to reach 117 yards. Yet that, in many ways, was what was most impressive about Howard's effort. With the exception of the season's first picturesque snowfall, so little about Sunday's 26-6 Bears victory classified as pretty. Eighteen of Howard's carries went for 3 yards or less.
Still, the Bears learned — if they hadn't known already — their rookie running back has it in him to be the clenched fist in their offense. No matter the conditions. No matter how heavy the workload.
"It was just his ability to stay with it and persevere," offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains said Thursday. "Because it wasn't all clean. … It was kind of a grimy game. And he grinded through it, protected the football and gave us a chance to win."
Said Howard: "The biggest difficulty, was making sure you had a wide enough base when you were cutting and then just protecting the ball. As the carries kept piling up, it definitely felt like a grind-out type of game."This week the Bears will get a faster track with an indoor game at Ford Field against an opponent Howard knows well. Ten weeks ago, he made his first NFL start against the Lions and recorded his first 100-yard game, piling up 111 yards on 23 carries.
Since then, fifth-round draft pick out of Indiana has continued to develop. Loggains said he has seen the most growth in Howard's pass-protection awareness. The rookie believes film study has helped, allowing him to better understand defense's tendencies and diagnose where potential rushers are coming from.
Still, Howard's skill with the ball are what have earned him acclaim. He is now just 117 yards shy of 1,000, a milestone he could reach this weekend.
Guard Eric Kush calls Howard "a fun dude" to block for. "Even if it's not the prettiest block, we try to finish our blocks to give him a chance," Kush said. "So even if it's not a huge hole, he still has a chance to hit it and fire through little holes. He's done (well) with that."
Added defensive end Akiem Hicks: "The one thing about Howard is he's always falling forward. Even if he's met at the line, he always falls forward. You never see him get stuffed and driven back. And that's an intangible for a running back you can't really quantify."
Loggains continues to laud Howard's vision and quick feet for a back his size.
"I think it's natural," Loggains said. "I think that's what (general manager) Ryan Pace and his staff saw in him. They saw those traits and those have shown up at this level as well."
Against the 49ers, Howard scored all three Bears touchdowns, the last a 5-yarder that came as he churned his legs through the slush and the tackle attempts of DeForest Buckner, Nick Bellore and Tramaine Brock.
It's that type of finishing determination the Bears have come to love.
dwiederer@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @danwiederer
