Tarik Cohen Explodes as Bears’ Backfield Engine, Whole Offense Thrives

Tarik Cohen finally got a chance to shine... and shine he did. He could take this backfield over.

Roto Street Journal favorite Tarik Cohen finally earned some love in Week 4 while the Bears throttled the Buccaneers 48-10. More importantly, this offensive explosion “coincidentally” came the first game Cohen out-touched presumed workhorse back Jordan Howard, 20 to 11. The explosive sophomore rode the volume increase to insane stats: 174 total yards and 1 score. Cohen averaged just over 4 yards a carry on 13 rushes (compared to Howard’s abysmal 2.5), but his real value was in the receiving game—he led the team with 8 targets, 7 receptions, and 121 yards, plus a 9-yard receiving TD. With the potential to take over the lion’s share of work after the Bears’ Bye, Cohen’s arrow is shooting straight up.

Clearly one of the most explosive players in the NFL, it had been a bit of a mystery as to why Cohen has not been receiving more opportunities in the Bears’ offense. He was relentlessly hyped all summer as a “movable chess piece” that was busy learning every single position, yet never exceeded 8 touches prior to Sunday’s explosion. Now that he has gotten the chance to shine (and has done just that), it seems highly likely that Cohen will emerge as a more consistent contributor for Chicago.

Yes, this outpour came against a historically bad Buccaneers’ pass-defense. But Mitch Trubisky finally pumped the ball deep and Matt Nagy‘s complex, but explosive scheme finally appears to be settling in. If you were thinking about dropping Cohen leading into Week 4, pump the brakes—this guy could still end up being the steal of the draft for some savvy, patient owners. He will skyrocket up The Wolf’s latest Rest of Season Big Board.

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  • Founder of Roto Street Journal. Lover of workhorse backs, target hog wideouts, and Game of Thrones. Aspiring to be the "Brady" and "Leo" of the fantasy universe.

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