James Daniels Powers Up More Consistent Bears Running Attack

Since they were struggling to run last year, James Daniels has a different position and size and the Bears have a different blocking scheme as well as real production

Guard James Daniels pulled and blocked the right edge of the Atlanta Falcons defense near the end of Sunday's game and suddenly there was no right edge.

Daniels threw the key block to spring David Montgomery on an 11-yard run to help seal the 30-26 win, and with that block he had offensive line coach Juan Castillo applauding.

"You know, the thing about that run, that run describes who James Daniels is," Castillo said. "It's as simple as that, if you want to put it like that. In my mind, when I see that run, that's who James is.

"I think you've seen him be really physical in other games and clean up some guys and everything, but that's who James Daniels is. He's a competitor. He loves the game. He wants to be the best."

If Daniels is blocking better in this year's offense it's because he actually is feeling like James Daniels, and also because the line and Montgomery have built a symmetry.

"Man, definitely the relationship between a running back and offensive line's gotta be big," Montgomery said. "At the end of the day, those are the hogs that are blocking for you. I love my O-line. That's a goofy select group of guys."

Better technique courtesy of Castillo helps.

"I know that from working in training camp with James, the things that we talked about was in the run game we're trying to get off our toes," Castillo said. "When you're in your toes, you over-extend, it affects your balance and we talked about the same thing in pass protection. 

"We're going to set square, work on our timing with our hands, try to stay off our toes and play square. Those are the things we’ve been working a lot."

Daniels is finding it easier to perfect the blocking technique at his new playing weight of 315 pounds.

"I usually played, like, last year and two years ago early in the year, I played right around 305 (pounds) and late in the year, like 300, 299, that range," Daniels said. "This year I've been playing around 315.

"I feel like the weight has helped me become better. Of course, I've had another year in the weight room, so I'm stronger of course. But adding on weight I feel like it has helped me and I don't feel sluggish."

The extra weight could be a real asset Sunday because Daniels is playing against a defensive lineman with a different body type than most he's used to facing. Defensive tackle DeForest Buckner isn't one of those stout, 320-pound big bodies trying to occupy blockers. He's 6-foot-7, 291 pounds.

"He's a really good player, and the way he's built, he's like 6-7 or 6-8, extremely long arms, and of course people with that type of build usually play D-end," Daniels said. "They don’t play D-tackle. Having that type of body type is something. I haven't really blocked anybody with that body type all year.

"He's very fast. He's very athletic. He knows how to use his length. So it's going to be a really good matchup. He's a really great player."

If anything held Daniels back last year it wasn't the weight or opposition, but rather his position. At Iowa he had played guard then center, came to the Bears and tried both. It has definitely benefited the Bears running attack more with him at guard.

Last year with Daniels was a center and Cody Whitehair a guard, they averaged 80.5 yards rushing a game. When Whitehair went to center at midseason, they averaged 101.75 yards rushing. And this year under Castillo with Daniels at guard they are averaging over half the season, but when Dani over their games with Daniels at left guard and Whitehair at center, but only 80.5 yards rushing when it was reversed.

They're averaging 138.5 yards this year on the ground. Since Daniels went to guard they've had nine games with 81 rushing yards or more, and had just three when he was at center.

"It's been good," Daniels said. "I mean, the best (part) has been not answering, like, the center-guard questions. I mean, every time I interviewed with the media, I always got those questions. It's just annoying to constantly have to explain myself and answer the questions constantly.

"That's the first thing I like (about) playing one position. The second thing is, I mean, yes, this was my first (training) camp running with the first-team offense at guard, so it was nice during camp to be able to get combos with Cody, combos with (Charles) Leno throughout the entire camp."

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