clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

Still waiting on the run game

One of the few mysteries still surrounding the Bears is the lack of a run game.  Last season Jone put up phenominal numbers considering no passing game.  Most of us assumed that as soon as defenses adjusted to our new down the field game, Jones would start to run wild, but that has yet to happen.

Six teams, including the Bears (30.5), are averaging more than 30 carries per game. All but Jacksonville (3-3) are over .500. But the Bears return from their week off as the only one of those teams averaging less than 3.5 yards per carry, and only Arizona and Cleveland, a combined 2-11, have been worse per attempt.

In fairness, Thomas Jones is averaging a respectable 3.7 yards per carry and Cedric Benson 3.1. Factoring out nine kneel-downs by Bears quarterbacks at the end of victories, the rushing game is not at the levels of losing teams.

Still, eight of the Bears' final 10 games will be played in cold-weather venues, adding to the importance of rushing for more than the Bears' 97.7 yards per game.

I still think it is only a matter of time, but coming up on the hardest portion of our schedule, it would be nice if the run game was rolling.