Explaining Why the Bears Value Mike Davis over Jordan Howard

Jordan Howard is gone. It feels like his era didn't last as long as it should've. Such is the sad reality of the modern NFL where scheme and team fits matter more than the actual players themselves. Word began over a year ago that head coach Matt Nagy was considering a move away from Howard. In the end, the Chicago Bears chose not to, riding 2018 out with him. He ended up scoring nine touchdowns and was a big help for the team down the stretch. However, it was still apparent that he wasn't the best fit for what Nagy preferred from his running backs. Most believe this centers around Howard's lack of natural pass catching talent. Sure, there is truth in that. It is not the entire story though. The truth can be found in their latest acquisition, free agent running back Mike Davis. He is a far better fit for Nagy's style. Why? It rests on a difference of blocking style by the offensive line. In this case, an inside zone. For those who aren't certain what that means, here's a brief explanation via SB Nation.

"The running back's job in inside zone is pretty simple: get the ball, wait for the play to develop, find a hole between the guards, and run like mad. Running backs in this scheme are allowed to make one cut behind the line. They are expected to be patient, but decisive."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8YvJeDA8jlU

Mike Davis thrives up the middle far more than Jordan Howard

One thing that became apparent during the season was Nagy's preference to call a lot of running plays that went between the guards. This shouldn't be a surprise. In 2017 as offensive coordinator for the Kansas City Chiefs, starting running back Kareem Hunt ran the ball 88 times out of 283 between the guards. That's just over 31%. With good reason too. Hunt averaged 5.45 yards per carry in that area. Howard? It's been one of his biggest weaknesses. Last year he averaged 3.7 yards between the guards. In 2017 it was 3.6. Only his rookie year did he find success at 5.35 yards. Since then it's been a long slog of meh. So it wasn't a surprise the Bears keyed on Davis. One thing about him that has stood out as a professional is he's good between the guards. [video width="1920" height="1080" mp4="https://www.sportsmockery.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Mike-Davis-inside-zone.mp4"][/video] In two years with the Seahawks, he ran for 259 yards on 54 carries. That averages out to a healthy 4.79 yards per rush. Far better than what Howard has been able to produce. Combine that with his more natural ability to catch passes and it shouldn't be hard to understand why the Bears saw value in him. Perhaps more value than other teams have to this point. It's way too early to say Davis will be a stud in Nagy's offense. What the Bears are looking for right now is improvement in the areas they deem important to proper execution of the offense. In this case it's running up the middle and being a stronger receiving threat out of the backfield. Davis offers solutions to both problems.