Where’s Jordan Howard?

Social media, local radio, and fantasy football forums all want to know; where’s Jordan Howard?

The Chicago Bears’ 224-pound running back has started all five games so far, and he ranks 23rd in the NFL with 275 yards rushing. He has a 3.5 yards per carry average, and he has 1 touchdown. He also has 10 receptions (no drops by he way) for 78 yards.

From a purely production standpoint his numbers are down from his first two seasons. In his first 5 starts as a rookie in 2016, he rushed for 438 yards, with 12 receptions for 121 yards. Last year, he rushed for 328 yards, with 10 catches for 50 yards in his first 5 starts.

When you consider he was the focal point of both of those offenses in 2016 and 2017, and just one of many weapons in 2018, those numbers make sense.

In my latest T Formation Conversation podcast, I get more in-depth on the Bears’ offense and look at why Howard’s numbers are down, but I also look at where his numbers could be heading as they progress through the 2018 season.

Here are a few other numbers that caught my eye.

Last year Howard had 92 total touches, and this year he has 88. That’s not as large a disparity that I figured it would be with his numbers down.

And here are his playing time percentages so far.

Week 1 - 71% at Green Bay

Week 2 - 73% vs Seattle

Week 3 - 62% at Arizona

Week 4 - 54% vs Tampa Bay

Week 6 - 51% at Miami

Give the show a listen and let me know what you think about Howard’s usage so far.

Also, it’s good to see our Bears’ FanPulse voters are smart football fans. Check out the results to our Bears’ specific question this week.