The Chicago Bears offense has statistically been one of the worst in the NFL this year. With starting running back David Montgomery missing time this season due to injuries, the team has needed to rely on second-year back Khalil Herbert to carry the load. In Week 5, the team travels to Minnesota to take on the Vikings. Is Montgomery playing, and what can we expect from this stagnant offense?
Update: Montgomery is active for the Bears’ Week 5 game.
Is David Montgomery Playing Today?
Montgomery returned to practice this week in a limited fashion. He has been given the questionable tag for the Bears’ Week 5 game against the Vikings. After missing most of Week 3 and all of Week 4, Montgomery returning to practice is definitely a positive sign.
“He’s looked good,” coach Matt Eberflus said Friday. “It’s positive, it’s real positive, and he’s looked good and is moving around well and has a good spirit about him. He has brightness in his eyes. I think he’s excited about getting going.”
Montgomery hadn’t really lit the world on fire in the few games he did play to start the year. Thus far, he’s rushed for 159 yards on 35 carries on the season. This isn’t completely on him, as the team’s offense as a whole has struggled. Although they currently sit at 2-2 on the year, none of Chicago’s games have been all that impressive. They currently rank last in the league in passing yards and have kicked field goals on each of their last four red-zone possessions.
What Can We Expect Against the Vikings?
If Montgomery is active for this game, it is unlikely that he will get a full workload just two weeks removed from his injury. Herbert looked good in his start last week when given 45.6% of the touch share. The numbers might not have been huge (77 yards on the ground and another 24 in the air) but he did enough to help move this offense.
In terms of fantasy football, if both Montgomery and Herbert are active, this RB situation becomes a bit more difficult to predict. Currently, PFN Fantasy Analyst Tommy Garrett has Herbert ranked as the RB12 in our Week 5 PPR rankings; however, this is under the assumption that Montgomery doesn’t play.
MORE: Week 5 Start/Sit Advice
Whether it be Montgomery or Herbert as the lead back, this is an enticing matchup. The Vikings have given up seven touchdowns on the ground so far, and running backs are averaging a whopping 26 fantasy points per game against this defense. Keeping that in mind, if Montgomery is active, both backs should be considered as Flex options. If Montgomery is out, lock Herbert in as a must-start.
If the Bears want to remain competitive in this game, they are going to need to score points. Their defense has been nearly as bad as their offense. The run defense is currently ranked last in the NFL. The Vikings are 3-1 on the season and have not had a hard time scoring. Kirk Cousins currently has 1,031 passing yards and 6 touchdowns, but it is the combination of Dalvin Cook and Alexander Mattison that the Bears are going to need to worry about.
Cook is another week removed from his dislocated shoulder and has been playing well this year, averaging 4.4 yards per rushing attempt. Last week, Cook had 22 touches for 86 yards despite being limited by his shoulder issue. He has only one TD on the year, but if the Bears defense continues to struggle against the run, this might be the game where he changes that.