Benson running nowhere fast, or long, these days
Why can't Cedric run?
That question has been asked about Bears running back Cedric Benson over and over this season, the exception being the week after the Game 2 victory over Kansas City, when Benson rushed for 101 yards on 24 carries.
But he hasn't had more than 67 yards in any other game. The Bears are the only team in the NFL without at least 1 run of 20 yards or longer -- and Benson's best is 16 yards, even though he has had 136 opportunities.
Nothing much has gone well in the ground game. The Bears are No. 30 in rushing yards and No. 31 in average gain per rush, with Benson averaging just 3.1 yards per attempt in a league in which the average is 4.1.
Benson grudgingly takes part of the blame for the lack of explosiveness in the run game.
"When you get in the secondary, on the few runs you get that are 10 or 12 yards, it's making them into 30- or 20-yard touchdowns," Benson said. "Making more out of the few opportunities that you get in the secondary.
"It's probably more just making moves in the secondary and stuff like that."
Benson has 12 runs of 10 yards or more, but he hasn't been able to turn any of them into really big plays. He had a long run of 30 yards last season and a 36-yarder as a rookie.
Because the Bears are known as a running team -- even though they have been much more effective throwing the ball this season -- opponents place a greater priority on stopping the run.
Regardless of how many defenders are in the box, the running back is expected to at least make one tackler miss, which Benson hasn't always done.
"We're still getting the same eight-man fronts and seven-man fronts, but we're doing a good job of leaving (it up to) that final tackler, which is the best we can do in that look," Benson said.
"That's where I have to come in and make something happen on that eighth man."
Another factor in the struggle to run the ball has been the level of competition the Bears have faced. Of their seven opponents, five have run defenses that are among the top 11 in the league.
"We've played some pretty good run-defense teams," quarterback Brian Griese said. "Minnesota (No. 4 in rushing defense) has been historically a good defense against the run, and Philadelphia (No. 8) the same. The guys we're playing this week have a great front four."
Even though they're led by Shaun Rogers, a 6-foot-4, 340-pound Pro Bowl run-stuffing defensive tackle, the Detroit Lions are just No. 19 in rushing yards allowed. They're No. 29 in points allowed, so the Bears could have some offensive opportunities today, even in the run game.
"The more we run it, the better we're going to get at it," offensive coordinator Ron Turner said. "We just have to keep doing that. Cedric is doing a lot of good things, the offensive line is blocking well, and it's going to come around to the point where everyone wants it to."