Jordan Howard makes a 69-yard run for the Chicago Bears
Tuesday 1 November 2016 06:58, UK
Chicago Bears rookie Jordan Howard had over 200 yards from scrimmage in a career night for the rookie.
Howard, who was selected in the fifth round of 2016 the NFL Draft back in April, had shown glimpses of his star potential, but struggled to make the starting spot his own, competing with Jeremy Langford and Ke'Deem Carey.
However he made his case on the Bears' third play of the night, escaping pressure and running for 69 yards to set up Chicago's opening score of the game.
In the second quarter, Howard caught a short pass from quarterback Jay Cutler and went on to make 34 yards, setting up another field goal. He also added a touchdown from close range, helping the Bears to a 20-10 win over the Minnesota Vikings, to cap a fine individual performance.
Last summer the Bears parted company with Matt Forte, second in all-time rushing yards for the Bears, but Howard's prime-time performance suggests the franchise may have found a young talent capable of following in Forte's footsteps.
Howard's 153 yards on the ground were just four short of Hall-of-Famer Walter Payton's Monday Night Football franchise record. Adding 49 receiving yards, the rookie became the first Bear since Forte in 2004 to go for over 200 yards from the line of scrimmage in a single game.
