The Chicago Bears aren't a particularly impressive team, and David Montgomery isn't a particularly impressive running back. But schedule counts for a lot, and looking at what's left for the Bears I see a possible playoff team and very productive Montgomery.
Montgomery has only 2 total touchdowns, and he's averaging just 3.8 yards per attempt. But he's the lone involved running back on their roster; he's Chicago's guy. And he won't have a bad matchup the rest of the season.
Chicago in its last eight games won't face a single run defense currently ranked higher than 15th. That 15th-ranked one is Green Bay, who just got roasted for 163 rushing yards and 4 total touchdowns by Dalvin Cook. Montgomery ain't Cook. But that's the best run defense he should see the rest of the season.
Here's Montgomery's remaining schedule, and what those teams have done thus far against the run.
| CHICAGO SCHEDULE WEEKS 9-17 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Opp | RuYds/G | RuTD | Def Rk |
| Tennessee | 128 | 7 | 22nd |
| Minnesota | 124 | 5 | 19th |
| Green Bay | 119 | 10 | 15th |
| Detroit | 130 | 11 | 23rd |
| Houston | 166 | 9 | 31st |
| Minnesota | 124 | 5 | 19th |
| Jacksonville | 143 | 10 | 28th |
| Green Bay | 119 | 10 | 15th |
Montgomery needs to stay healthy and take advantage of that schedule, of course, but looks really good for him.
Can Chicago make the playoffs? Possible. Let's say they lose both Green Bay games. I don't know if they'll beat either Houston or Tennessee, but neither team is scary; perhaps they win one of those. That leaves Jacksonville, Detroit and the two Vikings games. Win three of those, and they're 9-7 -- maybe a playoff team in the new 7-team NFC field. I assume we're putting New Orleans, Tampa Bay, Green Bay, Seattle, Arizona and some NFC East team in the playoffs. That leaves the Bears and Rams battling it out for the final spot. Rams own the tiebreaker, but stranger things have happened.
Either way, the lone team I have Montgomery on, he'll be in my lineup every week but his bye the rest of the way.
--Andy Richardson