Maurice Jones-Drew was one of the best running backs of the 2000s decade. A three-time Pro Bowler, he helped the Jacksonville Jaguars to some success including a surprising playoff run in 2007. Since retiring? The man hasn't been afraid to throw his opinion around. Especially when it involves the Chicago Bears in some capacity.
He was one of the most outspoken critics of Jay Cutler during the NFC championship game in 2010. Jones-Drew called him out for being soft and unwilling to play on an injured knee when the running back proclaimed he would've played on a broken leg if he had to. Now it appears he has a new target in Bears head coach Matt Nagy.
Jones-Drew ranked the top 32 running backs in the NFL recently. David Montgomery, the team's young starter came in a distant 27th. Yet Jones-Drew made it clear that had less to do with the young man's talent and more to do with the guy who refused to utilize it properly.
"Montgomery's success depends on whether or not Matt Nagy wants to run the ball. They abandoned the run game week after week in 2019, and it showed in the team's 8-8 record. I'm expecting Montgomery to get the bulk of the carries and Tarik Cohen to continue to be frequently used in certain packages. The second-year back can do a little bit of everything, but needs Nagy to commit to running the rock."
Maurice Jones-Drew is voicing a common criticism of Nagy
Commitment to the run was a persistent issue for the Bears last season. As a team, they ran a total of 395 times. Good for just 20th in the NFL. Nagy's common issue was if the running game was stymied early, he'd often just abandon it outright. People grew frustrated with that because evidence showed the Bears seemed to function better when they stayed committed to the ground game.
Montgomery got at least 15 carries in a game seven times over the course of 2019. The team held a 6-1 record in those games. Keep in mind he wasn't always productive in those outings, but the willingness to stick with it forced defenses to respect it. The only loss the Bears suffered should've been a win too as Eddy Pineiro missed what would've been the game-winning field goal.
As much as Nagy wants his system to run through the quarterback, the reality is he doesn't have one. Mitch Trubisky and Nick Foles have talent but haven't shown they can carry an offense on their shoulders for a full season. This Bears team is driven by a great defense. The best way to compliment that is with a steady running game that keeps the ball and chews up the clock.
Can Nagy swallow his pride and embrace this reality? This is what Jones-Drew isn't sure about.
