Chicago Bears Offensive Coordinator Dowell Loggains is a key cog in the team’s rebuilding plans.
Loggains is the man in charge of getting the offense into gear – and that starts with his input in finding the team’s quarterback of the future, then developing that player into the kind of talent a franchise wins with, both because of his presence in the huddle and production on the field.
“Leadership,” Loggains said. “[It’s] the ability to handle adversity and really just being able to be the face of the franchise and being able to stand in front of the locker room, be in the huddle and call plays right and execute.”
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Bears quarterbacks didn’t do much execution in 2016, finishing with a collective 81.8 passer rating, and with as many touchdowns (19) as interceptions (19) thrown. Matt Barkley and Jay Cutler both finished with QBR numbers in the 30s, while Brian Hoyer’s 61.5 was the best of a bad bunch.
Loggains spoke about that and much more on Thursday at the Senior Bowl, marking his first public speaking appearance since the season’s end. You can see video of Loggains’ comments from the Senior Bowl here at the Bears’ website.
Among his other remarks, and some thoughts of my own …
Jordan Howard was a bright spot in what was otherwise a dreary season, earning a Pro Bowl nomination. Howard rushed for 1,313 yards and six touchdowns, despite performing in an offense that often sputtered because of a lack of consistency, continuity and turnovers. The 2016 season didn’t provide much, but at least it allowed for Howard to make a case to be a building block for the 2017 team. Loggains said he was proud of Howard’s accomplishments. “Jordan had a heck of a year, especially when you think about what happened with how the year started for him,” Loggains said. “He’s a hard-working kid, he’s a humble kid. You want success for kids like that.”
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The Bears offense struggled to score points despite finishing in the top-10 in what Loggains described as “explosive passes and runs” in 2016. Loggains explains why big plays didn’t translate into high-scoring games: “The thing that hurt us was not being able to sustain things. There was a lack of continuity with all the injuries and there were turnovers. Getting those guys being able to play together and staying healthy, I think that will add up to more points as well.”
One of the coaches tasked with helping with that regard is Curtis Modkins, the new running backs coach who takes over for Stan Drayton, who took the same job at the University of Texas. In the end, Modkins’ body of work is what attracted Loggains to his new assistant. “You look at a guy that’s been a two time coordinator,” Loggains explained. “He’s coached on defense, been a run game coordinator, and always had high levels of success with different type[s of] backs.”
Loggains said he hopes Modkins can come in and bring fresh ideas to get the running game moving in a positive direction. The running game should be a strength for the 2017 Bears with two running backs who have logged 1,000-yard seasons and a strong interior line. Adding the right quarterback to the mix who could keep opposing defenses honest and not loading the box against the run could also be helpful.
The team also added Jeremiah Washburn to coach the offensive line. Loggains said Washburn’s experience in running his own unit in the division and coming from Adam Gase’s system in Miami gives the new coach a leg up in his first year in Chicago. But that’s not all Loggains liked about the new leader of the line: “He’s a guy that’s a really good evaluator. Obviously, [he] has a scouting background, and I really appreciate that because one of the things to having success in the NFL is [player] evaluation. Make sure we’re picking the right guys and we have to find roles for those guys.”
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It won’t be an easy task considering where the Bears’ offensive line ranked among the middle of the pack in 2016. Add to that the lack of talent and upside at the tackle position, and it’s evident Washburn has his work cut out for him. Even still, that is what makes him ideal for this job at this time. As Loggains noted, Washburn’s history in talent evaluation could pay dividends as the team pieces together its offensive line moving forward.
Luis C. Medina, who you can find on Twitter at lcm1986, has been covering the Chicago Bears at Bleacher Nation since 2017. Since then, he has written about 3 head coaches, 5 play-callers, and 11 starting quarterbacks. Previously, Luis wrote about the Cubs and MLB at BN (2015-16) and worked in the Chicago Tribune sports department (2011-16). He also co-hosted a Cubs postgame show, Outside the Ivy, in 2019.
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NEWSLETTER
Chicago Bears Offensive Coordinator Dowell Loggains is a key cog in the team’s rebuilding plans.
