Bears still trying to get their running game on track

Kyle Long couldn’t have been more good-natured about the viral video of him naked in the locker room during the Bears’ postgame celebration Monday night that teammate Tarik Cohen posted on social media.

Asked if Cohen owes him a few dinners for the inadvertent transgression, Long still kept it real.

“No. He’s good,” Long said. “I need to start blocking better before I make demands.”

Long is off to a relatively slow start in what he hopes is a renaissance season. And he’s not alone. The Bears’ offensive line, which came into the season hoping to be among the best in the NFL, has not been close to that in the early going.

Lapses particularly have come in the running game, which was expected to be a catalyst for a giant leap offensively, with rookie David Montgomery replacing Jordan Howard in the backfield. After the first three games, the Bears are averaging 96 yards per game (21st in the NFL) and 4.3 yards per carry (17th).

Though the offense broke through with three touchdowns in the victory over the Redskins, the running game wasn’t a big factor. Bears running backs gained 27 yards on 13 carries through three quarters. They helped ice the game with 50 yards on eight carries in the fourth quarter, including Montgomery’s 25-yard run that led to a field goal.

It has to be particular frustrating for coach Matt Nagy, because Montgomery has established himself as the team’s best running back and indeed looks like a better fit than Howard was. But the results aren’t making that obvious. The rookie from Iowa State has rushed for 147 yards on 37 carries (a 4.0 average).

“Our run game needs to improve,” Nagy said. “There’s not much more you can say to that other than we know that we want to be better from quarters one through three, and not just in the four-minute mode in the fourth quarter.”

Asked about the offensive line’s culpability there, Nagy was succinct, but clear. “I think we can play a little bit better there,” he said. “They know that.”

Trying to detail the issues of an underperforming offensive line is like trying to catch the wind with a butterfly net. It’s always the little things. Fundamentals. Attention to detail. Repetition. Rinse and repeat.

“We’re getting closer every week,” Long said. “Back to basics.”

“The only thing we can do is just be focused on our fundamentals,” center James Daniels said. “Whatever play that is, just being completely dialed in, just knowing what we need to get done.”

It’s never very complicated. The offensive line is a team within the team, needing all five parts working in unison. That’s been a challenge so far. The line has been called for nine penalties in the first three games.

Offensive line coach Harry Hiestand is well-regarded and accomplished. Nagy is putting his faith in him to make it all work.

“As a unit we always . . . talk about chasing perfection and catching greatness,” Long said. “Perfection’s unattainable. But you can do a lot of special things if you’re chasing that. And right now I’m just trying to focus on the basics as a player and doing the best I can to get my job done. Nothing special, but just get your job done.”

The Bears came into this season expecting continuity to help them hit the ground running. Even change is expected to be a net benefit, with guard Cody Whitehair and Daniels flipping to their strongest position. But so far, this season has been a reminder that little things matter.

“Had I used my hands better in the red zone, Mitch [Trubisky] would have five more touchdowns and one less interception,” Long said. “Stuff like that.”