Quarterback controversies spice up conversations in the barroom and board room, pump up sports-radio ratings and maybe even help sell a few more newspapers.
But despite coach Dick Jauron’s standard response earlier this week that Kordell Stewart must improve–the or else was more perceived than real–the reality of a running-game deficiency plagues the Bears more than the possibility of a quarterback controversy.
In other words, the more Bears fans see running back Anthony Thomas carrying the ball against the Vikings on Sunday night, the less they may need to worry about their quarterback carrying the load.
“A good running game will slow a lot of things down, a lot of blitzes, everything, when you run the ball well,” center Olin Kreutz said. “We have to get it going, period.”
The only place the Bears’ running game went in the season opener was in the tank. The Bears abandoned the ground game early as Stewart didn’t hand off until the third offensive series with 3:18 remaining in the first quarter and the Bears already trailing 10-0.
Thomas, alternating with backup Adrian Peterson, didn’t carry the football until the 5:55 mark of the second quarter and didn’t get it again after that series until the score was 49-7 with 12:11 left in the game.
Peterson’s five carries were bunched up in the same second-quarter series and neither Bears runner got a chance to develop a rhythm. It marked the fewest number of carries for Thomas in a game in which he was healthy since his first NFL start in the second game of his rookie season in 2001.
When Stewart leads the Bears in carries (six, tied with Thomas) and rushing yards (21) and the Bear offense holds the ball for 21:59 compared to 38:01 for the 49ers while running 28 fewer plays, it suggests the Bears need a return to the smash-mouth mode to regain any sort of momentum.
“Running the ball efficiently is one of the best ways to build morale on your team,” said offensive coordinator John Shoop, who accepted responsibility for getting away from the ground game.
It won’t be easy doing it on the ground against a Viking defensive front line that includes All-Pro Chris Hovan, but that won’t stop the Bears from trying.
Or so they say.
“It’s hard to just pass the whole game and win,” left tackle Mike Gandy said. “Any time you focus on the run, you have a good chance. It just puts you in a better position to win.”
Not going anywhere fast
The Bears gained an anemic 55 yards on the ground last week, ranking 29th in the NFL. Here’s a breakdown of Bears who ran the ball and how they’ve fared in their careers.
K. Stewart: 6 attempts, 21 yards, 3.5 yards per carry
Career average per carry 5.1
Thomas: 6 attempts, 15 yards, 2.5 yards per carry
Career average per carry 3.9
Peterson: 5 attempts, 12 yards, 2.4 yards per carry
Career average per carry 4.7
S. Pritchett: 2 attempts, 6 yards, 3.0 yards per carry
Career average per carry 3.6
M. Booker: 1 attempt, 1 yard, 1.0 yard per carry
Career average per carry 2.0
UP NEXT BEARS (0-1) at Vikings (1-0)
Sunday, 7:30 p.m., ESPN
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Edited by Michael Kellams (mkellams@tribune.com) and Chris Courtney (cdcourtney@tribune.com)
