Strikes twice in blowout

Howard ran for 47 yards and two touchdowns during Sunday's 41-9 win over Buffalo.

Analysis: Howard gave Chicago the lead early in the second quarter, taking an inside-zone chance for a 1-yard score. He struck again from 18 yards out at the end of the half. Howard has earned criticism this year by averaging just 3.5 yards per carry, but from a fantasy perspective, he's gaining steam with four touchdowns in his last three games after just one in his first five. An appealing matchup looms next Sunday against a Lions defense surrendering 5.1 yards per run, a mark Howard has reached just…read more

Records 81 yards, touchdown

Howard rushed 22 times for 81 yards and a touchdown while failing to catch his lone target in Sunday's 24-10 win over the Jets.

Analysis: Howard exceeded the 15-carry mark for just the second time this season, as Chicago pounded the ball after grabbing an early lead. He's still averaging a pedestrian 3.5 yards per carry, but Howard should remain a solid source of production as long as the Bears are playing winning football. That's likely to be the case in Week 9 against the Bills.

Finds end zone in losing effort

Howard rushed 12 times for 39 yards and a touchdown while adding one reception for an additional nine yards in Chicago's 38-31 loss to the Patriots.

Analysis: For the third game in a row, Howard played second fiddle in the Bears' rushing attack to Tarik Cohen, but he was able to salvage his fantasy day with a short touchdown run. With just two touchdowns on the season and an average of 47 combined yards over his last three games, he's performing at the level of a flex option instead of the fantasy starter he was drafted to be.

Fumbles at 1-yard line in painful loss

Howard rushed 14 times for 69 yards while failing to haul in his lone target and losing a costly fumble in Sunday's 31-28 overtime loss to Miami.

Analysis: Howard lost a fumble on Miami's 1-yard line in the second quarter as part of a mistake-prone afternoon that also featured a Mitchell Trubisky interception in the end zone, a Tarik Cohen fumble in the last two minutes of regulation and a missed field goal in overtime. Chicago's passing game has kicked things into a higher gear over the team's last two games, but Howard's still sitting on just one rushing score heading into a Week 7 matchup with the Patriots.

Modest usage in Week 4 win

Howard rushed 11 times for 24 yards and failed to secure his only target in the Bears' 48-10 win over the Buccaneers on Sunday.

Analysis: Howard saw backfield mate Tarik Cohen outpace him by two carries and also take a significant role in the passing game. Meanwhile, Howard was barely involved in the air attack after seeing 11 targets over the first three games of the season, but the Bears' comfortable lead was likely the main factor behind his relatively sparse usage. Despite Cohen's enhanced rushing volume Sunday, Howard seems locked in as the team's early-down back in normal game scripts, and he'll look to reclaim his…read more

Scores first touchdown of 2018 on Sunday

Howard rushed 24 times for 61 yards and a touchdown while adding two receptions for an additional 20 yards in Sunday's victory over the Cardinals.

Analysis: After Chicago fell behind by 14 points in the first quarter, it looked as if Howard would see very little work based on potential game script. Once the defense put the clamps down on Arizona, the Bears were able to run the ball frequently during the last 25 minutes of the contest, giving him an opportunity to add to his numbers. However, with the Cardinals expecting the run, he found very little room to operate, but a short touchdown run salvaged his fantasy day. He'll continue to be a strong…read more

Stymied against Seahawks

Howard rushed 14 times for 35 yards and caught three of four targets for 33 yards in Monday night's 24-17 win over the Seahawks.

Analysis: Howard was bottled up on the ground, with his longest rush going for merely seven yards. Although he trailed only Allen Robinson in receiving yards, it still wasn't a particularly productive performance for the usually impactful Howard, who also saw his team score twice through the air from inside the 10-yard line. Fortunately for him, Week 3 offers an excellent rebound opportunity against a Cardinals team that has been dominated through the first couple games.

Totals 107 yards against Packers

Howard rushed 15 times for 82 yards during Sunday's 24-23 loss to Green Bay. He also secured all five of his targets for an additional 25 yards.

Analysis: Concerns over Howard losing work to Tarik Cohen were quieted Sunday night after the bruising running back logged nearly 80 percent of the snaps and roughly three-fourths of the carries. The icing on the cake was the fact that Howard was asked to run 22 routes out of the backfield compared to 10 for Cohen, which supports head coach Matt Nagy's comments in August that indicated Howard will be used in more passing situations this season than he did in 2017. With a workhorse role seemingly in hand,…read more

No go Saturday

Howard won't play in Saturday's preseason game against the Chiefs, Kevin Fishbain of The Athletic Chicago reports.

Analysis: Howard will exit the exhibition slate with one appearance under his belt in which he churned out 32 yards on nine carries. Recently, coach Matt Nagy said some encouraging words about Howard, stating he'll remain on the field on third down. As such, Howard doesn't seem to be threatened by pass-catching back Tarik Cohen for a workhorse role for the third year in a row.

Expected to play on third downs

Head coach Matt Nagy said that he'll keep Howard on the field on third down, Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune reports.

Analysis: Nagy stressed the importance of running the football, but he also said that the coaching staff will do different things with Howard to keep him on the field for all three downs. Despite his issues with dropping passes during the first two years of his career, it's apparent that the coaching staff sees him as a vital component of the offense. With the potential for heavy usage, it's looking like he'll be well worth a top-16 pick, which is where his current ADP stands.

Logs nine carries in second preseason game

Howard took nine carries for 32 yards during Saturday's preseason game against the Broncos.

Analysis: Showing no signs of the knee injury that prevented him from playing in the preseason opener, Howard looked spry and seemed to perform better than his underwhelming mark of 3.6 YPC suggests. He predictably wasn't involved in the passing game, which continues to be a red flag for potential fantasy investors in advance of the regular season. We'll see if Howard gets some action as a pass catcher in what should be his final appearance of the preseason next Saturday against the Chiefs.

Dressed in pads Saturday

Howard (knee) is dressed in pads for Saturday's practice, Rich Campbell of the Chicago Tribune reports.

Analysis: Howard, who didn't play in Thursday's preseason game against the Bengals, has been dealing with a sore knee since taking a hard hit in training camp earlier this week. While it isn't clear what level of participation Howard will have Saturday, him being back in pads is nonetheless a positive development in advance of the Bears' third preseason game next Saturday against the Chiefs.

No go Thursday

Howard (knee) won't play Thursday at Cincinnati, Rich Campbell of the Chicago Tribune reports.

Analysis: Per Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times, Howard "banged his knee" in practice earlier this week, hence the decision to keep him on the sideline. With Benny Cunningham also out, Tarik Cohen will handle most of the reps with the first-team offense and potentially beyond, while Taquan Mizell and Ryan Nall take the rest of the backfield reps.

Misses practice Tuesday

Howard (knee) didn't practice Tuesday, Colleen Kane of the Chicago Tribune reports.

Analysis: "He banged his knee the other day," coach Matt Nagy noted of the running back, adding that Howard is "fine, but there was no need for him to practice Tuesday." While there's apparently nothing major in play here, Howard's minor issue could be enough for the Bears to scratch him for Thursday's preseason game against the Bengals.

Continues to work on receiving skills

Bears coach Matt Nagy said Howard can play on all three downs, Rich Campbell of the Chicago Tribune reports.

Analysis: The Bears coaching staff helped Howard work on his hands during the offseason, and after the running back caught just 52 of 82 targets over the first two years of his career, their work is cut out for them. Fortunately, he got off to a good start in training camp by catching both passes thrown his way, including one grab on a pass that was thrown significantly off target. Tarik Cohen will be a bigger weapon in the Chicago passing attack, but if Howard shows improvement and consistency as a…read more

Could see inconsistent workload

Head coach Matt Nagy stated that Howard's role will be "game specific," Adan Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

Analysis: Nagy also continued to confirm earlier offseason reports that he sees Howard as the "main guy," but he went on to say that in his offense, "it's game specific as to whether or not you need that." Nagy also indicated that the team is working with Howard to improve his receiving skills. Regardless of the potential that he improves as a pass catcher, it's unlikely that he'll turn out to be a better receiving option than Tarik Cohen, and Cohen will likely be the main receiving back. This certainly…read more

Gets vote of confidence as lead back

Coach Matt Nagy said Tuesday that Howard "absolutely" will serve as the Bears' featured running back in 2018, Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

Analysis: After back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons to begin his career, Howard has proven himself effective as a lead back, but the jump in tempo from former offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains to Nagy is expected to be a massive one. As such, backup running back Tarik Cohen will receive "a bunch of touches," per Nagy. There's a chance Howard will uphold his previous standard of 18.7 touches per game, but Nagy's comments indicate his workload could be scaled back some to ensure he stays as fresh as…read more

Stands to benefit from improved offense

After the Bears added three receiving weapons on the first day of free agency, Howard stands to benefit from a more versatile offense, Dan Weiderer of the Chicago Tribune reports.

Analysis: After facing stacked boxes on a regular basis due the the team's lack of weapons in 2017, Howard may finally find a bit of breathing room after the Bears now boast an impressive group of receiving weapons. With the additions of Alan Robinson, Taylor Gabriel and Trey Burton to go along with holdovers Cam Meredith and Tarik Cohen, defenses will need to consistently respect the passing attack, which could lead to Howard returning to the 5.2 yards per carry he earned as a rookie before falling off…read more

Howard is expecting to adjust well to new head coach Matt Nagy's new offensive system, Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

Analysis: Howard was frustrated last year because opposing defenses were often calling out the plays the Bears would run before the snap, which likely had a role in many of his disappointing fantasy performances. Not only should Nagy's offensive system make more creative use of Howard, but the other young weapons on the team have the potential for Chicago to be a much more dangerous offense in 2018. But until the passing attack gives defenses reason for concern, Howard will likely continue to be a…read more

Held to nine rushing yards in season finale

Howard rushed nine times for nine yards while adding one reception for an additional five yards in a Week 17 loss to the Vikings, finishing the season with 1122 rushing yards and nine touchdowns along with 23 receptions for an additional 125 yards in 16 games.

Analysis: After having an amazing rookie season in 2016 when he ran for 5.2 yards per carry and accounted for over 1600 total yards, he saw his yardage dropped by almost 400 yards while being held to fewer than 4.1 yards per attempt in 2017. It certainly didn't help that opposing defenses gave little respect to the anemic Bears passing attack, and Howard routinely saw stacked boxes that lowered his potential for consistent big games. Over the season, he was very game-script dependent, as he rushed for…read more

Finds end zone twice

Howard rushed 22 times for 44 yards and two touchdowns in Sunday's victory over the Browns.

Analysis: Since the Bears controlled this game for all four quarters, the Cleveland defense loaded the box, knowing that Howard would be fed early and often. Despite being held to two yards per carry, he fortunately found the end zone twice to save his fantasy day. He could've had an even bigger stat line, but he was vultured by Mitch Trubisky on a short touchdown run in the fourth quarter. He's been a very inconsistent fantasy performer over the course of the season, mixing elite upside with a number of…read more

Posts 63 combined yards in Saturday loss

Howard rushed 10 times for 37 yards while adding four receptions for an additional 26 yards in Saturday's 20-10 loss to the Lions.

Analysis: Howard had an outstanding matchup on paper, but the Bears fell behind in this one early, and the game script completely went away from him being utilized heavily in the rushing attack. He also had lost opportunities for a better performance when a pair of long gains were called back by penalties, keeping him from ending the evening with almost 100 yards of offense. He's been held to 38 or fewer rushing yards in three of his last four games, and he's failed to reach four yards per carry in five…read more

Runs all over Bengals in blowout win

Howard rushed 23 times for 147 yards (6.4 per tote) and two touchdowns during Sunday's 33-7 win over Cincinnati.

Analysis: This was the fifth 100-yard rushing game of the season for the sophomore, and the two scores up his tally to seven. After running for just 44 yards on 20 carries over the past two weeks, this outburst was a welcomed showing from Howard. Unfortunately, he projects to remain a volatile fantasy asset because the Chicago offense lacks game-breaking talent in the receiving corps, and rookie quarterback Mitch Trubisky is still extremely raw. However, Howard's upside was certainly on full display…read more

Howard rushed 13 times for 38 yards in Sunday's 15-14 loss to San Francisco. He also lost five yards while catching one of two targets.

Analysis: Fantasy owners had to be expecting more after Howard ran for 100 yards in three of five games from Weeks 6-11, but instead he turned in a second straight dismal performance in what was supposed to be a prime matchup. It wasn't all his fault, however, as the Bears only possessed the ball for 21 minutes in the contest. Although he out-carried Tarik Cohen 13-2 and is the clear back to own on the Bears, it will be tough to trust the 23-year-old against Cincinnati in Week 14.

Howard rushed for six yards on seven carries and added two catches for 13 yards in Sunday's 31-3 loss to the Eagles.

Analysis: It was tough sledding for Howard as Chicago had to abandon the run after falling behind by multiple scores early. From a total yardage perspective, it was Howard's second worst game of the season and comes at a time in which he had entered Sunday with over 120 total yards in three of his previous five games. He'll get an easier test next week against the 49ers, moving from the league's best rush defense in Philadelphia to its worst in San Francisco.

Howard ran for 125 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries during Sunday's 27-24 loss to the Lions.

Analysis: It was Howard's third 100-yard game of the Mitchell Trubisky era, but his first score. His 12-yard dash put Chicago up by two scores in the second quarter. In Weeks 3-8, Howard was among the league's most active backs with at least 20 touches in five of six games. He's been held to 15 touches in back-to-back weeks now and Tarik Cohen chimed in with 13 touches and a touchdown on Sunday. Howard, as he showed against the Bears, is more than capable of being productive in shorter stints, but the…read more