Bears vs. Chiefs: Three biggest disappointments in tough loss

Disappointment #3: RB Tarik Cohen

It’s tough to lay all the blame for running back Tarik Cohen’s struggles on him alone. It’s been a big let down for Cohen after a breakout season in 2018. The speedy playmaker was supposed to be a key piece in the Bears offensive improvement this season.

Obviously, this year hasn’t gone as planned for many of the Bears players. But for Cohen, this seems like an especially tough pill to swallow after coming into this season as the team’s feature back.

Cohen put up great numbers on limited touches last season, averaging 6.9 yards from scrimmage per touch in 2018. He recorded 725 yards receiving on 71 catches last season.

The Bears traded running back Jordan Howard after last season, and many analysts speculated it was because Nagy liked how Cohen fit in his offense much more than Howard. Nagy could never seem to figure out how to use Howard effectively.

Despite the Bears drafting another back in David Montgomery, it was supposed to be another big year for Cohen. He’s now close to his 2018 total with 67 catches in 2019, but he has just 387 yards receiving.

Cohen’s rushing numbers and average yards are way down across the board. Nagy has to figure out how to use him better next season, or there will be continued struggles on offense.

Montgomery took over most of the rushing duties from Cohen after his early struggles, but there are many ways to use Cohen that Nagy seems to ignore. He needs to be more involved next season.

Despite a plethora of injuries to key players, there’s not a good excuse for the regression the Bears showed this season. The team needs to put this year behind them and focus on improving before their championship window slams shut.