Tarik Cohen reality check

[AZBearsFan]

Weeks 1-3: 24 carries for 157 yd (6.54 ypc), 20 catches for 126 yd

Weeks 4-8: 29 carries for 71 yd (2.45 ypc), 8 rec for 108 yd 

Cohen burst on the scene, but in the past 5 games take away the 70 yard catch against Carolina and he’s generated 109 yards in 36 touches on offense. That ain’t good, and coming off the bye this seemed like a good time for a reality check. Is he underutilized or misused in our offense? Or is he just a flash in the pan that’s just not going to be sustainably effective in a prominent offensive role? 

My personal thought? We can find ways to better use him. Any screen or draw game at all would be nice. Maybe a slant or shallow drag route. But, he also needs to learn that sometimes he’s got to lower his head and finish a run more often instead of trying to do too much. We have him in a prominent role right now and some of that is necessity, but i don’t see him ever becoming anything more than a role player personally. It’s probably too early to make that call, but I think the general perception of what he is as a player has gotten pretty far out over its skis. He may be the most dynamic home run hitter we have, but that doesn’t mean he’s a good enough one to be featured on a team that’s hoping to compete at the top of the league. It may just be more of an indictment of the rest of the roster. In a year with (hopefully) real WR depth, what’s his role? 15-20 snaps a game? Maybe? If Jordan Howard could catch AT ALL maybe less than that? 

[G08]

It's a game of adjustments... NFL defenses have figured out what we are trying to do and it's up to Dowell Loggains and friends to counter-punch.

 

Holding your breath? Me neither...

[WindyCity]

He should essentially be moved to WR. His routes are really good, hands are legit. He got himself wide open against the Saints in the slot and Trubisky missed him.

[bkokot]

10 hours ago, WindyCity said:

He should essentially be moved to WR. His routes are really good, hands are legit. He got himself wide open against the Saints in the slot and Trubisky missed him.

I'm interested if we see the offense open up a bit more after the bye week, in theory, plenty of time to build up Tru's comfort level with things to add a new dimension or 2.  I'd love to see him start to develop more as a play action passer.

[IronMike84]

Cohen's dropoff is the cumulative result of a lot of different issues:

1. Although there was tape of him from the preseason, but nobody was really sure of what his split with Howard would be. Early on, Cohen was getting a third of the caries. Maybe it has been Howard's healthy or maybe just gameflow, but he's at 25% right now.

2. He's not running as decisively as he was early in the season. Go back and look at the Atlanta and Pittsburgh games. Cohen was reversing field at times back then, but he was getting downfield a LOT faster. In recent weeks, we've seen him dancing a lot more. I think he needs to just to back to basics and focus on that one-cut so that when he gets that one-on-one in space he can make the defender miss and make the big play..

3. He's basically their only offensive weapon. The lack of anybody else as a thread to make a play makes things more difficult for him. Really, Cohen is only taking reps at WR because he has to, since the receivers are so bad. Ideally he should be working out of the backfield and occasionally motioning out wide.

4. Defenses don't have to honor the pass, so they can focus on taking away the run.

Also, as I've also noted in many games this season: Cohen should not be returning punts. He's just not good at it. Let him focus on offense.

[AZBearsFan]

7 minutes ago, IronMike84 said:

Cohen's dropoff is the cumulative result of a lot of different issues:

1. Although there was tape of him from the preseason, but nobody was really sure of what his split with Howard would be. Early on, Cohen was getting a third of the caries. Maybe it has been Howard's healthy or maybe just gameflow, but he's at 25% right now.

2. He's not running as decisively as he was early in the season. Go back and look at the Atlanta and Pittsburgh games. Cohen was reversing field at times back then, but he was getting downfield a LOT faster. In recent weeks, we've seen him dancing a lot more. I think he needs to just to back to basics and focus on that one-cut so that when he gets that one-on-one in space he can make the defender miss and make the big play..

3. He's basically their only offensive weapon. The lack of anybody else as a thread to make a play makes things more difficult for him. Really, Cohen is only taking reps at WR because he has to, since the receivers are so bad. Ideally he should be working out of the backfield and occasionally motioning out wide.

4. Defenses don't have to honor the pass, so they can focus on taking away the run.

Also, as I've also noted in many games this season: Cohen should not be returning punts. He's just not good at it. Let him focus on offense.

I don’t have a problem with him getting reps in the slot. If Inman, Wright and Wheaton can provide any semblance of a threat in the passing game he should get a more favorable matchup. A lot of that falls on Loggains though - he has to let them actually HAVE a passing game. 

[IronMike84]

4 minutes ago, AZBearsFan said:

I don’t have a problem with him getting reps in the slot. If Inman, Wright and Wheaton can provide any semblance of a threat in the passing game he should get a more favorable matchup. A lot of that falls on Loggains though - he has to let them actually HAVE a passing game. 

If receivers can't get open, it doesn't matter. Some of that is scheme, absolutely, but some is also on the talent of the receivers.

[AZBearsFan]

3 hours ago, IronMike84 said:

If receivers can't get open, it doesn't matter. Some of that is scheme, absolutely, but some is also on the talent of the receivers.

Definitely some is on the talent level of the receivers. You know who can get open? Bellamy. He has a lot of drops, but at least he’s getting separation. You can scheme for more separation and freer releases with bunch formations and motion though, and we don’t do that. Also running routes down the field where the DBs can’t just squat at 12 yards would make a difference. Opponents may not respect the player, but if you show a willingness to take shots they have to at least respect the route which gives our underwhelming WRs a better chance. 

[IronMike84]

41 minutes ago, AZBearsFan said:

You know who can get open? Bellamy.

I don’t disagree, but man, every other person who posts on this forum will lose their minds when they try to process that statement.

[G08]

He had 2 ******* touches yesterday. TWO. TWO!!$#@

[WindyCity]

1 hour ago, G08 said:

He had 2 ******* touches yesterday. TWO. TWO!!$#@

Loggains is terrible.

-Shaheen had 2 targets for 40 yards and then got 0.

-Bellamy played 40 snaps and was 2/7 on his targets and had a drop and a holding call.

[Nads786]

13 minutes ago, WindyCity said:

Loggains is terrible.

-Shaheen had 2 targets for 40 yards and then got 0.

-Bellamy played 40 snaps and was 2/7 on his targets and had a drop and a holding call.

Yep I just don't get this line of thinking.. why aren't we scheming to get Adam or Cohen open?

[IronMike84]

One of the big stories yesterday was the revelation that Cohen isn’t in the two-minute offense. There’s a little to be said about that.

Benny Cunningham is obviously the two-minute back because Howard can’t catch anything, Cohen may not physically be the best pass blocker, and BC can both catch and block reasonably well. I’m fine with that. Put the best guy out there for the job.

Post-game, Cohen said he wasn’t in the two-minute offense because he was learning the playbook at running back, receiver, and returner, and therefore didn’t know the plays.

Here’s the issue: Cohen is their best offensive weapon. He’s also their leading receiver. John Fox himself touted both of those things just last week. He’s also not a good returner. He’s not making people miss, he doesn’t have a long stride, and he’s making very poor decisions. Cunningham, on the other hand, was signed in part because he’s a decent returner.

All of this being said, wouldn’t it make the most sense to have best offensive weapon and leading receiver Tarik Cohen out on the field in the two-minute offense, even if it’s only in the capacity of being a receiver and not a running back, while also relieving him of his kick return duties and letting Cunningham handle those?

[topwop1]

34 minutes ago, IronMike84 said:

One of the big stories yesterday was the revelation that Cohen isn’t in the two-minute offense. There’s a little to be said about that.

Benny Cunningham is obviously the two-minute back because Howard can’t catch anything, Cohen may not physically be the best pass blocker, and BC can both catch and block reasonably well. I’m fine with that. Put the best guy out there for the job.

Post-game, Cohen said he wasn’t in the two-minute offense because he was learning the playbook at running back, receiver, and returner, and therefore didn’t know the plays.

Here’s the issue: Cohen is their best offensive weapon. He’s also their leading receiver. John Fox himself touted both of those things just last week. He’s also not a good returner. He’s not making people miss, he doesn’t have a long stride, and he’s making very poor decisions. Cunningham, on the other hand, was signed in part because he’s a decent returner.

All of this being said, wouldn’t it make the most sense to have best offensive weapon and leading receiver Tarik Cohen out on the field in the two-minute offense, even if it’s only in the capacity of being a receiver and not a running back, while also relieving him of his kick return duties and letting Cunningham handle those?

Yes I agree that Cohen should have been out there in the last 2 mins.  That he does not know the 2 minute offense by now is more of an indictment of the coaching staff than it is Cohen.

Like you said if they want Cunningham out there as the RB because he's the best pass blocking/receiving back they have that's fine, but that doesn't mean that Cohen still shouldn't be out there split out wide or used as a decoy of some sort.

This team just has no imagination sometimes.

[bkokot]

38 minutes ago, IronMike84 said:

One of the big stories yesterday was the revelation that Cohen isn’t in the two-minute offense. There’s a little to be said about that.

Benny Cunningham is obviously the two-minute back because Howard can’t catch anything, Cohen may not physically be the best pass blocker, and BC can both catch and block reasonably well. I’m fine with that. Put the best guy out there for the job.

Post-game, Cohen said he wasn’t in the two-minute offense because he was learning the playbook at running back, receiver, and returner, and therefore didn’t know the plays.

Here’s the issue: Cohen is their best offensive weapon. He’s also their leading receiver. John Fox himself touted both of those things just last week. He’s also not a good returner. He’s not making people miss, he doesn’t have a long stride, and he’s making very poor decisions. Cunningham, on the other hand, was signed in part because he’s a decent returner.

All of this being said, wouldn’t it make the most sense to have best offensive weapon and leading receiver Tarik Cohen out on the field in the two-minute offense, even if it’s only in the capacity of being a receiver and not a running back, while also relieving him of his kick return duties and letting Cunningham handle those?

I feel like the real reason that Cohen isn't out there in the 2 minute drill is because the coaches don't feel like they can trust him to get out of bounds, or not to dance around and waste some time.

Especially in hurry up situations, things like that will absolutely kill a drive, or cause a wasted time out, with how conservative Fox is as a head coach, it wouldn't surprise me if that were the reason why he's not on the field in those spots.