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Bears run game needs to gain some traction

Based on the 71 yards Bears' offense managed in the second half in Week 1, it has a lengthy list of areas to improve upon Monday night against the Philadelphia Eagles in the home opener.

At the top of the list should be a stronger presence on the ground, especially with a head coach like John Fox, who prioritizes the run game.

"The first half, we did what we needed to do," offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains. "Second half, I didn't think we got as many opportunities. I think that comes from not converting on third downs and lack of execution in the second half."

Most of that is accurate, but the Bears didn't run the ball well enough or frequently enough in a first half that netted 26 yards on 10 rushes, not including a Jay Cutler scramble for 12 yards. Of the Bears' 73 rushing yards (on 20 carries), Jeremy Langford had 57 (on 17 attempts), which isn't nearly good enough to keep backups Ka'Deem Carey and rookie Jordan Howard on the bench.

A ground game by committee was expected this year, but it was the lack of execution, especially on third downs, that prevented a stronger commitment to the run game. The Bears converted just 4 of 13 third downs, which limited them to 54 plays, 18 less than the Texans.

The third quarter was especially dysfunctional. The Bears managed just 1 first down on four possessions. The first possession ended after two plays with an interception. The second ended after three plays with a sack. The fourth ended after three plays with an Alshon Jeffery drop.

"If we execute better on third down … " Loggains said. "We drop a ball … we're not protecting the way we should. It cuts about 7 or 8 runs, and then all of a sudden, the rotation of the running backs gets cut. Now Langford's playing more because he's the best in pass protection, and you don't get into a rhythm and be able to run the football. So then 'by committee' goes sideways a little bit, and the plan doesn't get executed the way you want."

The Bears also need to get the ball to Jeffery more. He had 4 catches on 4 first-half targets for 105 yards but no catches on 2 second-half targets, none in the fourth quarter.

Making the Eagles respect the ground game will slow the pass rush, and the Bears should find more running room Monday night. No team allowed more rushing yards last season than the Eagles, who were also 28th in average gain allowed per rush.

Staying out of obvious passing situations will help the offensive line protect Cutler, who was sacked five times, 4 on third down, and was hit on several other pass plays.

"I don't think it was one person," Loggains said of the deficient protection. "Each guy played OK. (But), as a group, we didn't do what we needed to do to (work together). That takes all five of them."

• Follow Bob's Bears reports on Twitter @BobLeGere.

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