Joshua Dobbs Poses New Threat for Bears

The Bears defense hasn't been hurt by scramblers a great deal this year but Joshua Dobbs has been putting up rushing yards like Justin Fields does.

Like the Bears need another problem.

For the first time in what seems like forever, they're facing a scrambling quarterback who has caused big problems for opponents. Vikings backup QB Joshua Dobbs on Monday Night Football is as likely to tuck it and run as he is to scramble and throw.

"Yeah, definitely a quarterback that can extend plays," Bears linebacker Tremaine Edmunds told reporters at Halas Hall last week. "Getting the job done. Throwing the ball. Running the football. All types of ways.

"Anytime you have a guy back there that's dual-threat like that, obviously it presents a lot of challenges. So we're just coming to work each and every day, understand what the plan is, understand what the challenge is and getting ourselves ready to play a big-time game."

It always complicates things, that’s for sure.

The most yardage the Bears have allowed on the ground to a running quarterback was in the loss to New Orleans when Taysom Hill hit them with 52 yards. However, he wasn't doing that as a scrambler. It occurred in an unconventional offense in which he played 29 snaps or 46% of all plays, while starting QB Derek Carr was on for 83% of plays.

Actual scrambling quarterbacks haven't given the Bears problems like they have in some other seasons. The most scrambling yards they allowed were 28 to Patrick Mahomes on three runs. Russell Wilson had only 13 yards against them.

They were burned on the first drive by Carolina's C.J. Stroud with two third-down scrambles for first downs, but his yardage total for the game was only 18. Sam Howell had 19 yards rushing.

The worst effort they really had against a mobile QB was Baker Mayfield in Week 2 against Tampa Bay. He didn't really run for many yards, with six carries for 17 yards, but scrambled away from trouble repeatedly or eluded tacklers in order to throw passes.

In three games for the Vikings, Dobbs has run for 131 yards on 23 carries. He averages 5.7 yards per rush for them. It's not a lot different than the way he played early in the season for Arizona. He had 258 yards on 47 carries, a 5.9-yard average for the Cardinals before being traded.

"Now your rush lanes have to be really, really good," Bears cornerbacks coach and defensive passing game coordinator Jon Hoke said. "We always say four equals one. And you have to have that mentality with the rush lanes. You have to be smart with how you play man coverage when you do because now you have (defenders) running with people and they're going to have their eyes back to him.

"So you have to have people who are responsible for him as best you can and still be able to rush the passer. That always complicates things. That's for sure."

If any team should be familiar with capabilities of a scrambling QB it's the Bears. 

Their defense faced Justin Fields in training camp every day. In practice, Tyson Bagent often runs the scout team and he ran for 109 yards on 23 carries in his 4 1/2 games as Bears starter this year.

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