Is it time to panic about Jordan Howard?
Jordan Howard had another bad game. Is it time to be concerned?
Jordan Howard just can’t seem to get it together this year.
Howard’s numbers against the Miami Dolphins don’t look too bad. He had 14 carries for 69 yards, averaging 4.9 yards per carry. Unfortunately, when you lift up the curtain of the box score, Howard gained 34 of those yards on two carries in overtime once the heat had caught up with Miami’s defense. If you eliminate Howard’s 3 OT carries, he had 11 carries for 35 yards, fitting right in line with the 3.2 yards per carry he’s been averaging going into that game. Not to mention, Howard had a critical fumble at the goal line that might have cost the Bears a victory.
Is Howard just off to a slow start or is it something more? We discussed how Howard was potentially unhappy and even potentially being shopped over the course of the year. Could it be that Howard’s slump is due to his emotions? Or perhaps it’s Howard’s usage that has affected his effectiveness.
At this point, it’s impossible to really know what the issue with Howard is. Some analysts have said Howard needs 20 touches every game to be effective and that his second halfs are always better than his firsts. That may be true, but if that’s the case, that’s now how this offense is going to be run. Howard needs to be as effective in what he’s asked to do whether he has 12 touches a game or 22.
One thing is for certain, for this offense to truly fire on all cylinders, they need Howard to play well. He doesn’t need to be the workhorse that he’s been for this offense over his first two seasons, but they certainly need him to handle a good 10 to 15 carries a game, be effective in short yardage, and handle the runs in between the tackles. The Bears do not want to rely on Benny Cunningham or Ryan Nall to handle those duties.
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Regardless of what happens throughout the rest of this season, it’s becoming clearer what many feared prior to the season: Howard does not fit in this offense. There was hope after the Green Bay Packers’ game that perhaps it wasn’t as quite square peg/round hole as many expected, but with a larger sample size, they definitely seems to be the case.
There are still 11 games to go in the season and a lot can change in that time. No one is saying Howard’s season is hopeless, but of all the weapons the Bears have on that side of the ball, it really can’t be argued that he is the least effective of any of the Bears’ skill position players.
Perhaps Howard is just off to a slow start, perhaps Howard isn’t happy after possibly being shopped by Ryan Pace, perhaps Howard doesn’t fit the offense, or perhaps Howard had a couple great seasons and is at risk of falling off the map (much like Anthony Thomas from yesteryear).
At this point, Pace has shown no indication that he’s willing to invest in the running back position. When Matt Forte was due a contract, Pace told him to hit the road. Since he’s been here, he’s brought in a running back every year (Jeremy Langford, Jordan Howard, Tarik Cohen, Ryan Nall). That pattern shows a GM that sees the running back position as one that is interchangeable and shouldn’t be invested in.
Cohen’s skill set is unique and his versatility may be enough for Pace to invest in the shifty back, but from a traditional running back position, Pace does not appear to be one that will invest in running backs. That means Howard has most likely been shopped and will continue to be shopped this offseason. Regardless, whether Howard rights the ship or doesn’t, his time in Chicago will be coming to an end sometime in the next 15 months.