Chicago Bears Monthly Mailbag: Offensive line, trade deadline, and more

7. When will David Montgomery finally show up?

David Montgomery will show up when the Bears offensive line shows up. Through the first five games of the season, the Bears offensive line has looked so inconsistent, Montgomery has yet to break away a big run and be the spark the Bears offense needs.

When you look at the numbers, Montgomery’s stats actually look pretty good but their not what anyone expected them to be in mid-October. The Bears spent all offseason hyping up Montgomery, making it sound like he was going to take the NFL by storm and be the reason the Bears would have such an explosive offense this year however every time he’s carried the ball, he can only do so much since the offensive line hasn’t been able to create clear and consistent running lanes for him.

With 11 games left to go, it’d be unwise to declare Montgomery’s rookie season a total failure. When he has had an opportunity to let plays develop, he’s shown flashes of being able to be the running back everyone envisioned him to be.

Over the next four weeks, Montgomery will face teams that rank 14th, 22nd, 2nd, and 27th in rushing yards allowed. This means he’s got a big opportunity to finally have his breakout game but it will hinge on how the offensive line plays in each of these games.

As frustrating as it’s been to watch Montgomery this year, the mediocre start to his rookie season isn’t all his fault. With the weather changing in Chicago, it is fair to expect an increase in Montgomery’s workload and the Bears will reap the rewards of having a do-it-all-running back in November and December.