Chicago Bears: 4 players on offense who must step up to make the playoffs

David Montgomery – RB

Remember the player that did not live up to expectations. David Montgomery is that player. We need to realize that this is not just on him though. The Chicago Bears offensive line struggled to perform in 2019. As a unit, the team ranked 29th overall in NFL offensive line ratings.

The team was second to last in power rankings and struggled to allow the running back to reach the second level. Montgomery started eight games in 2019 and gained 889 yards. He also scored six touchdowns. He gained 3.7 yards per attempt despite seeing contact after only two yards.

Montgomery broke 28 tackles last season and gained 57 first downs. He also recorded 25 catches on 35 targets for 185 yards and a touchdown. That equates to a 71.4 percent catch rate. The thing is, even though his numbers are not bad, they also were not great. I know Montgomery was not a first-round talent like Ezekiel Elliott or Saquan Barkley, but to compare the three, Elliott and Barkley gained at least 5.0 yards per attempt in their rookie seasons.

Maybe it is not fair to compare Montgomery to the other two, but the expectations I had for Montgomery was better than his 3.7 yards per carry last season. I still have faith in him becoming the shifty running back that I envisioned. If the Chicago Bears can improve the offensive line and/or build a better air-attack Montgomery will see less loaded boxes. The hope is that he puts it all together this season.