Chicago Bears: 3 reasons Mitchell Trubisky will breakout in 2019

Improved run game

Jordan Howard is no longer with the team, having been shipped off to the Philadelphia Eagles, where he apparently feels better utilized. Howard made some recent comments that suggest he was capable of doing more than the Bears allowed him to do.

Whether it was a matter of him not being able to, or not being allowed to, the fact of the matter is he didn’t do the things the Bears — and specifically Matt Nady — expect out of their running backs in this offense.

In general, they felt that Howard made them predictable and one dimensional when he was on the field. When in the game, teams severely discounted his ability to catch the football, so in certain situations — especially passing downs — defenses could essentially forget about him and focus on the other playmakers.

This season, the Bears have added Mike Davis an incredibly underrated running back who should shine once given more opportunities. They also drafted David Montgomery who has been predicted by some to win Offensive Rookie of the Year, and who has impressed thus far in minicamp.

So how does this help Mitch? Well, it allows him to unlock the full potential of the offense. Having three versatile running backs means that whenever one of them is in the game, the defense has to respect their ability to run and catch. No longer is the playbook shrunk when one particular running back is in the game.

This should allow them to stay pretty balanced. As a team, the Bears were top 10 in rushing attempts last season with nearly 29 per game. Perhaps some of those runs turn into more screens, dump-offs, or designed passes to running backs lining up in the slot. It will make the Bears less predictable, and Mitch’s job a little easier.