Chicago Bears: Five bold predictions for the 2017 season

3. Jordan Howard struggles to recapture 2016 magic

As a fifth-round rookie out of Indiana, Chicago Bears running back Jordan Howard was absolutely fantastic in 2016. Despite only starting 13 games for the Bears, Howard was the second-leading rusher in the NFL last season.

Howard piled up an impressive 1,313 yards and six touchdowns on 252 carries last season. He enters his second season as the clear focal point of the Bears offense. While Howard will undoubtedly have plenty of opportunities to pile up numbers in 2017, I do think he takes a step back this season.

Nobody is going to take Howard lightly this season. Every single team that plays the Bears will focus on him as the key to stopping their offense. The play of the quarterback position will be huge for Howard’s ability to make an impact this season. If Mike Glennon and Mitch Trubisky cannot make the Bears passing game a threat, teams will stack the box with regularity to stop Howard. He is great, but he needs help from the rest of the offense to be successful.

Last season, Howard’s 5.2 yards per carry average was the second-best of any player with at least 200 carries. While I could still see him putting up strong yardage and touchdown totals, I have a hard time believing Howard will be that efficient unless the Bears passing game is much better than I expect.

Honestly, this has little to do with Howard himself. I still think he is a tremendous football player who has a bright future in the NFL. However, the Bears offense is unlikely to set him up for success in 2017.