Inside the Huddle: RB Jeremy Langford — ‘I know I’m a playmaker’

Adam L. Jahns’ “Inside the Huddle” column appears in game-day editions of the Sun-Times.

Waiting. It’s what Jeremy Langford did at Michigan State before he became a starter,

and what he did last year as a Bears rookie behind veteran Matt Forte.

So, in a way, Langford feels prepared for his current predicament. He’s no longer the Bears’ starting running back — rookie Jordan Howard is. Langford has to wait his turn.

“It’s stay believing in yourself,” said Langford, who returned for the Bears’ Week 8 victory against the Minnesota Vikings after missing four games with a high ankle sprain suffered in Week  3 against the Dallas Cowboys. “Football, for the most part, is about confidence. So it’s staying confident in yourself, and then, when you get the opportunity again, make the best of it and continue to grow from there.”

Howard’s tough-to-tackle style and vision seem to make him a great fit for the Bears’ zone blocking scheme and the hard-nosed identity they want. But Langford shouldn’t be forgotten, and the Bears still believe in his speed, big-play ability and potential. It’s a matter of figuring out how he clicks with Howard behind a better offensive line.

“Mentally, his job is to be ready when his number is called,” offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains said. “When he does get an opportunity to get in the game, whenever that is, we expect him to come in and perform at a very high level.”

The Bears still talk about using the hot hand. While it’s a motivational technique, it’s also a game-day responsibility for running backs coach Stan Drayton. Langford got only five snaps against the Vikings.

“Production — that overrules everything,” Drayton said.

But it’s more nuanced than that. Certain plays and concepts fit certain talents better. And Drayton said determining who gets the ball involves examining the competition’s strengths and personnel closely. In some cases, Howard’s power is best. Other times, Langford’s speed might create more of an advantage.

“Are they a downhill, smash-mouth defense? Or are they a sideline-to-sideline, athletic, finesse, extremely fast defense?” Drayton said. “I’m gaining a better understanding of who plays well given the style of defense we’re facing that week.”

There are reasons why Langford and Howard weren’t taken until the fourth and fifth rounds of the 2015 and 2016 drafts, respectively — something’s missing. Consider Howard’s 69-yard run against the Vikings as an example. If Langford gets into the open field, there’s a better chance he finds the end zone. His 83-yard touchdown on a screen against the Rams last season stands out.

The problem is that Langford hasn’t reached that level consistently in his brief career. His longest run last season was 23 yards. Earlier this year, he noted that he has left yards on the field. A broken tackle or two would help.

Howard doesn’t have that problem. He got that 69-yard run by decisively reading his blocks, but also because he ran through an attempted arm tackle by Vikings safety Harrison Smith. Gaining yards after contact is his most valuable ability.

“The one thing that’s beautiful about that committee is that they’re all different,” Drayton said, referring to Langford, Howard and Ka’Deem Carey.

Turning those differences into strengths is what Loggains and Drayton have to do. The holes and opportunities should be there for all three running backs. The offensive line has significantly improved since Langford was the starter.

“You can tell, even off the field,” Langford said.

He can’t wait to run behind them more.

“The NFL is not ‘what you did for me’ — it’s ‘What have you done for me lately?’ ” Langford said. “That’s kind of where I’m getting my mindset at now. That’s how the NFL is. For me, I’m confident in myself always. If you’re not confident in yourself, who else would be? I know what I’m capable of. I know I’m a playmaker.”

EXTRA POINTS

Predicting pressure

The Bears’ pass rush is different with outside linebackers Pernell McPhee and Leonard Floyd healthy. Pairing Floyd’ speed with McPhee’s power was a goal from the beginning.

Floyd, in particular, provides unique versatility because of his length and athleticism. He’s recently been used more in stunts.

But defensive coordinator Vic Fangio shrugged off the notion that playing McPhee and Floyd together with sack leader Willie Young makes their designed pressures more unpredictable.

Fangio doesn’t blitz much. The confusion for the offense comes with identifying which four players are actually rushing the passer.

“We can move guys around and line Leonard up at different spots and rush him from different spots,” Fangio said. “But [the unpredictability is] a little overblown to be honest with you.”

Draft daze

There’s extra intrigue around the Bears’ upcoming matchups against the Buccaneers and Giants dating back to April 28, the first day of the draft.

The Bears leapfrogged the Giants at No. 10, when they traded their No. 11 pick and a fourth-round selection for Bucs’ No. 9 pick.

Floyd was the Bears’ top target, and the team was convinced that the Giants would take him.

With Floyd gone, the Giants selected cornerback Eli Apple. At the time, league observers thought they panicked after the Bears’ bold move.

The Bucs, meanwhile, took cornerback Vernon Hargreaves, “a guy that we liked coming out,” coach John Fox said.

“I truly believe that Vernon’s going to be a shutdown corner in this league,” Bucs coach Dirk Koetter said.

While the three players are only rookies, but the Bears and Bucs seem to have fared better than the Giants did.

Apple’s struggles on the field have made headlines, while his mother, Annie Apple, has become a story because of her criticism of the Giants as a writer for SI.com.

Locker-room buzz

The Bears are 2-6, but there is a positive vibe at Halas Hall that starts with their improved health, namely the returns of McPhee and quarterback Jay Cutler. Their voices seemingly matter as much as their availability.

Players and coaches highlighted Cutler’s speeches before they beat the Vikings.

And now it’s McPhee who is making sure everyone is in the right mindset. He said he wants his teammates to remain “pissed off” over their record.

“Why not?,” McPhee said. “I told the guys the main thing is to stay pissed off and know where we’re at and know where we could go, and the sky’s the limit. Only thing we’ve got to do is just stay focused.”

NUMBERS GAME

1 –Interceptions that Bucs quarterback Jamies Winston has thrown over the past four games. He had eight in his first four games.

117.9 – Average rushing yards allowed per game by the Bucs’ defense, which is eighth most in the league entering Week 10.

36.7 – Percentage of third downs converted against the Bears. The defense is rated the eighth-best on third downs.