When the Chicago Bears turned to Khalil Herbert for a brief stint last season, we saw the upside of having a big play hitter at running back. However, we also wrote that David Montgomery was going to keep his job going into the next season, mainly on the back of being a much better pass protection option.
With David Montgomery missing most of the past two games, we have seen a pretty even split between the two runners so far this season. However, the difference in pass protection remains notable.
Montgomery only has 10 pass pro snaps this season, while Herbert only has nine. That is a small sample, but it does not take long to see who is better. So far, Herbert has allowed three pressures, and Montgomery has not allowed one.
According to PFF Montgomery has a pass protection grade of 83.7, and Herbert is at 26.2. It is pretty noticeable. The New York Giants exposed this often, as they blitzed an extra rusher on over 50% of the times that Justin Fields dropped back.
It is a staple of the Wink Martindale defense, and he wanted to not only test Justin Fields, but also the offensive line, and players who were kept in to block.
Herbert was charged with all three of his pressures in this game. He consistently saw linebackers coming screaming up the middle and continued to struggle with his assignment.
The reality is that while most fans want it to be one or the other, the best running back situation Chicago has is the two combined. Montgomery is more powerful and better in pass protection, while Herbert is more of a big play hitter who can run with speed.
When the two are together, it is a strong combination. When it comes to just Montgomery, he may lack the juice, and we saw on Sunday that they cannot trust Herbert to be a blocking option in pass protection.