Bears running backs put up 129 yards on 34 carries against one of the NFL’s stoutest fronts.
Jeremy Langford was again the primary tailback with Matt Forte out (knee), this time doing his real damage with pass-receiving (seven catches, 109 yards). The highlight was his taking a screen pass 83 yards for a second-quarter touchdown, a run on which he helped his blockers with intelligent pacing and timing on his running throughout the play.
“When (center Matt Slauson) came over, he said, ‘Good job setting me up,’” Langford said. “That’s what as a running back you want to, try to get them in a good position to get that cut block. He did a great job of getting his man down.
“Once I got the ball and I saw the linebacker coming, I felt like if I could get the ball and everybody got their job done, which they did a great job at, I could find green grass.”
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Langford clearly is developing a comfort zone with quarterback Jay Cutler, who targeted the rookie nine times. Langford found open areas in the defense, including a well-executed drift out of the backfield for a reception and fourth-down conversion and a third-down catch for another conversion on a Cutler laser throw.
Ka’Deem Carey added 56 yards on 14 carries for his second strong game as a complement to Langford. Both Carey and Langford were generally competent in blitz pickup, with Cutler being sacked twice but only once in a situation where a running back was in position to have possibly picked up a rushman.
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For Langford, as good as the San Diego game was, “I feel like in the last game I left a lot of yards on the field,” he said. “I wanted to come out here and do a little bit better and keep getting better from game to game and get more yards after contact.”
Moon's Grade: A