Everyone wanted to see more David Montgomery in the Chicago Bears’ Week 1 loss to the Green Bay Packers, but the seven times he touched the ball proved Ryan Pace found a stud in the third round.
The rookie running back played just 27 of the Bears 71 offensive snaps (38 percent), but whenever the play went to him, it was must-watch.
The NFL’s official Twitter account agreed and did us all a favor by compiling Montgomery’s six carries and one catch into one handy video.
He could only amass 18 yards on six carries, but the analytics indicate Montgomery did about as much as he could with what his offensive line was providing him.
According to Pro Football Focus, the rookie forced two missed tackles on his half-dozen runs, no surprise after he led all of college football in that statistic in each of the last two years.
He also picked up 21 yards after contact, which means, on average, he was being met by defenders behind the line of scrimmage.
The Bears offensive line repeatedly failed to create space for Montgomery to run, and he made his own yards with his contact balance and explosiveness.
Then of course, he had his 27-yard wheel route out of the backfield, the start of a budding connection with Mitchell Trubisky.
Montgomery was nearly 20 yards downfield when he made the catch, showing of the versatility that Nagy’s raved about all offseason.
It was a small sample size, but it was a clear indication of what’s to come for the Bears third-round pick.
