Howard continues to impress during rookie season
It isn’t just that Jordan Howard, the Bears’ fifth- round draft pick, has rushed for 883 yards already this year – more than any other rookie not named Ezekiel Elliott. Howard, by the way, has the same 4.9- yard average per carry as the Cowboys’ rookie of the year candidate. Howard is ninth among all players in rushing yards and on pace for 1,177 for the season, which would be just short of Matt Forte’s franchise rookie record of 1,238.
But there’s a lot more than numbers to Howard, who came to training camp as the third option in what was expected to be a running game by committee headed by Jeremy Langford and backed up by Ka’Deem Carey. Howard didn’t even play in the season opener.
But then Langford missed four games in October with a sprained ankle, and Carey missed two with a strained hamstring.
“One thing about injuries,” coach John Fox said, “is they give guys op- portunities.”
So, up stepped t he 6- foot, 222- pound Howard. As it’s turned out, Howard is the committee. He has 72.8 percent of the Bears’ rushing yards this season, and in the past five games it’s 87 percent.
He’s been the same player and the same person since the first day of training camp.
“It’s just the whole package ,” Fox said when asked what has impressed him about Howard. “To start the season, people didn’t even know his number. He’s had success, obviously. He’s young ( just turned 22) being a rookie, but his humility and how he’s maintained being the same guy is big, too. I think it says a lot about him aside from all the abilities.”
On the sloppy, snowy Soldier Field grass Sunday, Howard rushed for 117 of the Bears’ 142 yards on the ground.
A testament to Howard – and to the Bears’ offensive line – was their ability to successfully pound t he ball, even when the 49ers knew it was coming. That also allowed the Bears’ collection of second- team wide receivers – pressed into service because of injuries and suspension – to routinely burn the single coverage t hey saw with the 49ers focused on Howard. “Even though they might know the run is coming, they still have to stop it,” Howard said. “It’s the best man wins.”
It was the fifth 100- yard game for Howard, who played his final collegiate season at Indiana after Alabama- Birmingham dropped football. His three touchdowns, on runs of 1, 2 and 5 yards, were a personal best and the most by a Bears running back since Forte did it more than three years ago.
“The offensive line got great push, like they always do,” Howard said. “The tight ends and receivers were making great plays in the run game and the passing game.”
The O- l i ne turned the compliments back toward Howard.
“He’s an impressive young man,” said rookie center Cody Whitehair, who has started every game this season. “He runs the ball hard, gets every inch and, even when the holes aren’t there, he still makes things happen, as you could see on the goalline.”
Howard wore custom cleats Sunday to honor the memory of his father Reginald, who died of pulmonary fibrosis, and to bring attention to the disease.
“It meant a lot to honor my father and the pulmonary fibrosis organization and a lot of other people who have the disease,” Howard said. “I definitely had my dad out there with me in spirit.”