Jordan Howard Sets Franchise History with Week 14 Showing

Chicago Bears running back Jordan Howard rushed a whopping 23 times for 147 yards and two scores during Week 14 against the Cincinnati Bengals.

Sunday's effort boosted him over the 1,000-yard rushing mark for the season. He finished 2016 with 1,313 yards on the ground, making Howard the first running back in Bears' franchise history to top 1,000 yards in each of his first two NFL seasons, per NFL Communications.

Howard wasn't heavily involved in the offense during the first two weeks of his rookie campaign, rushing a combined 12 times for 67 yards. That changed in Week 3 following a Jeremy Langford injury, opening the door for him to seize the starting role. He hasn't relinquished it since then.

While Howard is thriving again in his second season, the Bears haven't had similar fortunes. Chicago owns just a 4-9 record through Week 13, sitting in the cellar of the NFC North and among the worst marks in the NFC.

Chicago made the transition under center from Mike Glennon to rookie first-round selection Mitchell Trubisky after a 1-3 start to the season. Although he's yet to throw for more than one touchdown pass in a game, Trubisky posted another promising effort Sunday.

The Bears have some key pieces on offense still early in their careers. If they pan out, the team could begin the climb up the NFC North standings after a couple of down seasons. Howard appears to be a star in the making for Chicago and the return of some pass-catchers in 2017 could make the offense—and Howard—more dangerous in 2018.