Is This the Bears' Best Off Season Ever?
Windy City Gridiron — ... to backup Matt Forte.  Jones now 2 years removed from his surgery should be ready to go and with the Bears looking to take some of the load off of Forte, will get more carries.  They also signed ...

Down the Road: Contract Talk
Windy City Gridiron — ... not include signing bonuses, or details of incentives, but if you would like to know the details, let me know.  I will run this feature pretty regularly, so you can let me know of anyone else that you are interested in. Jay Cutler 2009: $1.035 million (+ $100,000 workout bonus) 2010: $1.4225 million (+ $4 million roster bonus) 2011: $1.81 million (+ $12 million performance roster bonus) 2012: Free Agent Matt Forte 2009: $385,000 2010: $470,000 ...

NightLink: Grossman, Orton, Forte
Windy City Gridiron — ... The Bears are being extra cautious with running back Matt Forte and plan to sit him through at least the next three organized team activities, according to an NFL source. There's a good chance Forte won't participate in any of next week's four sessions, although he will be re-evaluated on Monday. The Bears conclude OTAs on June 18. ...

Is Garza a Lock at Right Gaurd?
Windy City Gridiron — ... Here is a look at Matt Forte's performance running in each direction; it seems to support that  Garza is doing fine. ...

A (Slightly Less) Insanely Early Look at the Vikings' Schedule, Part Four
Daily Norseman — ... This will be the one game the Vikings play all season where weather should have any significant effect. . .and if it's anything like it usually is in Chicago in December, it's going to be a display of power football on both sides, and both defenses should be amped up and ready to go for this one.  If that's the case, the easy choice is Adrian Peterson and Chester Taylor over Matt Forte and ...

Hester Only Has Eyes for Cutler
Windy City Gridiron — ... to have success this year in the passing game, Jay Cutler must quickly develop chemistry with his offensive weapons.  OC Ron Turner is working to make sure that happens. ...at least two of the Bears' top four receivers are on the field every time Cutler throws a pass. One or both of the tight-end tandem of Greg Olsen and Desmond Clark also must be on the field when Cutler throws. Ideally, one of the two running backs, Matt Forte or Kevin Jones, also must be on the field. ...

Worthless "Top 50 Players" List: No Bears, Packers, or Lions
Windy City Gridiron — ... you will find that he made a good case for some of his picks, and made terrible assessments of others.  But what blew my mind was that the NFC North only had 4 players on his list, and they were all Vikings. If I were to try and objectively put together a list like this, there is no way I could do it without giving some players from the Bears, Packers, and Lions any nods.  I mean seriously, how did he leave off names like Jay Cutler, Matt Forte, Lance Briggs?  And Aaron Rodgers, ...

NightLink: Larry Mayer Predicts Starters
Windy City Gridiron — ...  Of course, it is too early to effectively try and predict who will fill the starting positions in the upcoming season, but if there is anyone who has insight to such matters, it is Larry Mayer.  Training camp will will answer a lot of questions, and I'm sure that even Larry's opinion will change come August, but here is a look at what he thinks right now: OFFENSE: Jay Cutler at quarterback, Matt Forte at running back, Jason McKie at fullback, ...

NightLink: How Much of 2008's Concerns Roll Over To 2009?
Windy City Gridiron — ... having to answer a myriad of questions unrelated to his failed efforts to live up to his status as the fourth pick in the '05 draft. Matt Forte certainly won't be under pressure to exceed Benson's production. It's about replacing ...

NightLink: Fantasy Football- Matt Forte Overvalued/ Overrated?
Windy City Gridiron — ... All of this being said, are there any people out there who would say that Matt Forte is an overvalued or overrated player?  Sure, I can think of some ...

Break Out: Who Is the Sleeper WR?
Windy City Gridiron — ... offense was pretty unremarkable.  Sure, we had Matt Forte, who we were at risk of running into the ground, and we had ...

ESPN's Fantasy Football Preview Belongs in the Humor Section
Stampede Blue — ... Oh boy.  I'm sure after the terrible draft and horrible mismanagement he would have been thrilled to play for Josh McDaniels.  McDaniels has already ruined the franchise.  Cutler gets to play with Matt Forte in his backfield and for Lovie Smith.  He made the right decision by asking to be traded. ...

What Will Kevin Jones Bring To 2009?
Windy City Gridiron — ... more involved in the offense this year, and for the longevity and health of Matt Forte I hope Jones can be productive.  Running back tandems are the norm in today's NFL.  More teams are looking for that guy to split carries with, the Smash to the Dash, the Lightning and the Thunder, or the Earth to play off the Wind and Fire.  In the Bears 2006 Super Bowl season ...

The 10 Most Important Bears in 2009 - #5
Windy City Gridiron —   In this ongoing series I'll look at which Bears I think will need to contribute the most in 2009 for them to have a successful season.  #5 Matt Forte - Running Back Even with the addition of Jay Cutler, the Bears will need to run the ball, and second year pro Matt Forte will need to show his rookie year was just a tease to what his full potential can be.  NFL people say a players biggest jump in level of play comes between their rookie ...

NightLink: Offensive Foundation- Building One For the "Ages"
Windy City Gridiron — ... to be prolific, and has never really been one to blow people away. Fast forward to 2009, and it looks like pieces are being put in place to build an offense that could potentially be outstanding for many years to come.  We don't have all the pieces yet, but we certainly are getting there... and getting there in a hurry.  Let's take a look at what we have now, and where we need to go to get to an "elite" state. Jay Cutler:  26 years old Matt Forte:  23 Devin Hester:  26 Chris ...

NightLink: Top 10 Bears Prospects
Windy City Gridiron — ... the writer has defined a prospect as "a player entering their third year in the NFL or is under 25 years old." We have mentioned the fact that the Bears seem to be building a very young and solid foundation for our offense, and 5 of the 10 players listed here are on the offensive side of the ball. While I may not agree with everything the author writes, he has done a good job with his analysis.  Here are his top 10 Bears prospects for 2009: 1- Matt Forte 2- Greg Olsen 3- Chris Williams ...

What To Expect: Quarterbacks
Stampede Blue — ... 2. No.  Players like Adrian Peterson and Matt Forte will keep on getting better and stop him from breaking Favre and Unitas' record. ...

Matt Forte & Neal Anderson
Windy City Gridiron — ... fans have found comparable traits between Matt Forte and former Bear and four time Pro Bowler Neal Anderson.  While I do see some similarities in their games, I think Forte has the potential to be a more productive back. ...

Day 7
Windy City Gridiron — ... David Haugh, Fontel Mines, Dez Clark, Tommie Harris and ChicagoBears.com. All links *should* open in a new window! Be advised: the Cutler link may or may not be legit. Time will tell at this point! BradBiggs Bears officially sign C Donovan Raiola to contract. gregolsen82 The nfl network piece is now gunna air next tuesday..they just told me sorry BradBiggs Matt Forte played more than any other top RB last season, check it out ...

Which running games were good at what? (2008)
Stampede Blue — ... Mewelde Moore 1,690 3.67 45% 15% 1.74% 64% 0.87% Bears Matt Forte None 1,673 3.85 43% 17% ...

2009 Colts Training Camp: New and notes from 8/10/09 Morning Practice (aka, Tony Ugoh not starting anymore)
Stampede Blue — ... Ugoh is a huge bust. Likely, he is the biggest bust of Polian's tenure in Indy. Polian made a big mistake giving up their first round pick in 2008 so they could take Ugoh in the second round of 2007. Just FYI, if the Colts had the first round pick in 2008, a player like Matt Forte or perhaps Chris Johnson would be in a Colts uniform. That should make you feel good. ...

First Depth Chart Released: Here's Some Analysis
Stampede Blue — ... Johnson Tony Ugoh Michael Toudouze These are some names that have been around for a while, but usually Ugoh would be above Johnson.  That continues to shock me.  The Colts gave up a first round pick for Ugoh in the most deep running back class I can remember.  Some players that were left when the Niner picked were receivers Donny Avery and Eddie Royal, tight ends Dustin Keller and John Carlson, and running backs Matt Forte, Ray Rice and Kevin Smith.  Keep that in mind ...

The Future of the Running Game
The Mile High Report — ... Even when such an approach is possible, is it optimal? Let's consider four possible examples: LaDainian Tomlinson with San Diego, Adrian Peterson with Minnesota, Matt Forte with the ...

Preseason Game 1: Bears @ Bills
Windy City Gridiron — ...  Not having Maybin thus far will likely hurt his contributions once he actually gets on the field. Now, onto our Chicago Bears (9-7 in 2008).  First, let's look at our 2008 numbers: Offense-  Overall offensive ranking:  26th Rushing:  24th (105 yards/ game) Passing:  21st (191 yards/ game) Points:  14th (23.4 points/ game) Kyle Orton:  2,972 yards/ 18 TDs/ 12 INTs/ 27 Sacks Matt Forte:  1,238 yards/ 8 TDs Devin Hester:  665 ...

2009 APC Fantasy Football Primer
Acme Packing Company — ... For example, there are four running backs that figure to make up the "elite" tier: Adrian Peterson, Michael Turner, Maurice Jones-Drew, and Matt Forte.  The next running backs are players like ...

Chicago. . .It's a Delusional Town. . .
Daily Norseman — ... has looked great in practice thus far.  And really, why wouldn't he?  After all, he gets to go up against the Bears' secondary every day.  And for all the hype Matt Forte gets, the run offense that Cutler played with in Denver last year ...

Position Battles: Running Backs
Windy City Gridiron —   I found it odd the Bears didn't bother bringing in an undrafted free agent tailback to compete in camp and to play the fourth quarters of the preseason games.  Last year they kept four on the opening day roster, so is it a given they will do the same thing this year? Matt Forte could reach Pro Bowl status and Kevin Jones is healthy and in great shape.  These two are obvious locks for the final roster and should be a formidable tandem if used ...

Bears Show Improvement - Beat Giants 17-3
Windy City Gridiron — ... What a difference a week makes.  Or should I say; What a difference it is having Matt Forte and Greg Olsen back in the lineup?  Offensively the Bears first unit was impressive.  Jay Cutler still tried to make a few throws he shouldn't, but with a big gun, you have to expect big things.  I'll live with the gun-slinging force it in throw on occasion, because Cutler will complete some passes that only a QB with that kind of arm strength can. I thought Erik Kramer did an outstanding ...

Horse Tracks 8/23/09 - Broncos lose to Seahawks 27-13; Orton performs well
The Mile High Report — ... responds to emails NFL Results NFL - San Diego Chargers 17 at Arizona Cardinals 6 Dolts D comes up with two big end-zone picks; LT plays again; Rivers and Volek both efficient. NFL - Oakland Raiders 20 at San Francisco 49ers 21 Another big game from Niners RB Glenn Coffee; nice TD pass from JaMarcus the Hutt to Louis Murphy. NFL - New York Giants 3 at Chicago Bears 17 Excellent performances from JC and Matt Forte lead Bears. NFL - Carolina Panthers 17 at Miami Dolphins ...

Does Marvin Harrison Have an Offer in Chicago?
Windy City Gridiron — ... to play for the Bears in 2009. This line is the funniest of the article and could discredit everything else he says. If in fact Harrison joins Chicago, his arrival should make the Bears' offense the best in the NFC North. His ability to stretch the field will allow for quarterback Jay Cutler to throw deep passes to him, as well as freeing up the middle for short throws to tight end Greg Olsen and dump-off passes to running back Matt Forte. Hmmm. Not sure Harrison stretches the field ...

Was John Gruden really nuts about Deangelo Williams?
Cat Scratch Reader — ... Trouble eclipsed Smash and Dash to run for almost 2500 yards for the season. It is also an important factor to consider when you judge the quality of a good running back. Williams: Williams had 273 carries for a total of 1515 yards ((5.5 per attempt)). That's enough to place him 3rd on the list for yards gained for the season. The only two people ahead of him are Adrian Peterson and Michael Turner. Below him on the list are several other 'cowbell' backs such as Matt Forte, Clinton Portis, and Thomas Jones who receive the ...

A Plea To Curb Your Enthusiasm
Acme Packing Company — ... and Adrian Peterson, who I think could run for 1,000 yards with just Chad Steve blocking and AP running.  Matt Forte is far more potent than ...

Notes, Scribbles, and Things Jotted Down: Denver Game
Windy City Gridiron — ... -We saw another great offensive performance last night, most notably from Jay Cutler, Greg Olsen, Desmond Clark, and Caleb Hanie.  Matt Forte had a solid performance as well -Trumaine McBride missed a couple of open field tackles. -Rashied Davis stepped up big time on Special Teams play. -In the first quarter, Jay Cutler had Olsen open for a first down pass, but opted for a deeper pass to Dez Clark for the conversion.  That is confidence from a QB. -I kept jotting down how ...

Dissecting the Drive: 98 Yards in 5:07
Windy City Gridiron — ... Twelve plays for 98 yards, in five minutes and seven seconds, ending with a six yard TD pass to Matt Forte.  It was a thing of beauty... ...

Bears Make 53
Windy City Gridiron —

New Orleans Saints Odds and Odds
Canal Street Chronicles — ... Matt Forte (CHI)                                     25/1 ...

Analysis of the 2009 Colts roster cuts: Part One
Stampede Blue — ... in 2007 and, thus, preventing Indy from getting a player like Matt Forte in 2008, then fine. I think that's fair. But, from where I'm sitting, it looks like the 2007 and 2008 drafts just did not foster the kind of overall NFL talent we are used to seeing from the collegiate ranks. ...

Random 49ers odds for 2009 from Bodog.com
Niners Nation — ... Matt Forte (CHI)                                     9/1 ...

Analysis: How The Chicago Bears Look Coming Into Week 1
Acme Packing Company — ... and TE Greg Olson have never been great receivers, but Cutler could make them great. Every fantasy draft is expecting a break out season for RB Matt Forte. This should be the best offense the Bears have seen in many seasons, but it still has to prove it on the field. ...

Preview: Bears at Green Bay Packers
Acme Packing Company — ... tied for 3rd with 22 INTs and held QBs to the 4th lowest QB rating of 71.9. The Bears pass offense was 21st in yardage, but Denver's pass offense was 3rd best in 2008. The Bears pass defense gave up a lot of yards because they led the league with well over 600 pass attempts against them. Opponents, for whatever reason, preferred to throw the ball. Their opponents QB rating was 77.2; 10th lowest in the league. The key will be RB Matt Forte. QB Jay Cutler can't carry their offense through the ...

Bearprint For Success: Beat The Packers
Windy City Gridiron — ... my 3rd point...   Playaction to the TE's Part of the switch to the 3-4 that proves to be difficult is guys that normally have their hand in the ground are now asked to play in a 2-Point stance, drop into coverage from time to time, and even play some man to man.  I'd love to see former DE now OLB Aaron Kampman caught in a one on one with either Greg Olsen or Desmond Clark.  Taking it a step further, getting running backs Matt Forte or Garrett Wolfe matched up one on one with a LB would ...

Why Are The Bears Considered An Elite Defensive Team?
Behind the Steel Curtain — ... round selection. Harrison looked pretty good last year but the bottom line is that's not much attention paid to the defense for several years in a row.   In an attempt to shore up their defense after several years of not retooling its personnel, Chicago finally paid more attention to that side of the ball in this past April's Drat. Five of the Bears first seven picks were on defense. Smart move if you ask me, particularly because they seem to have a running back for the future in Matt Forte, a quarterback in ...

Pour Some Sugar On Me - Week One Edition: Time to Stay Positive
Hogs Haven — ... is no slouch. Matt Forte is no slouch. The Packers got after them on Sunday night. Those linebackers were everywhere, and the secondary made Jay Cutler pay for overestimating his ability to put the ball in a tight spot with double-, triple-, and even quadruple-coverage. ...

Back To The Drawing Board; Bears Attacked the Pack Wrong
Windy City Gridiron — ... with the stretch play on a few occasions and they tried 3 toss plays in the second half, all with little to no gain.  When running outside (especially against the 3-4), you have to be sure your pulling linemen can turn and seal the flowing LB's back inside.  The Bears couldn't do this.  Another disruption to the toss play is the penetration of the defensive down linemen from Green Bay caused the pulling Bears blockers to belly back, which in turn caused Matt Forte to belly back and let Green Bay extend the play to the ...

Previewing Cincinnatti's Visit To Lambeau
Acme Packing Company — ... As for Green Bay's defense, we got a good look at what the 3-4 can do to corrall a well above-average RB like Matt Forte (55 yards on 25 carries).  Green Bay only gave up 86 yards rushing as a whole, including 5 stops behind the line.  While they certainly won't maintain the outstanding 2.8 ypc allowed all season, the run defense seems to be off to a good start.  ...

Chicago Bears Would Be Well Served Throwing To Matt Forte If They Hope To Knock Off Defending Champion Pittsburgh Steelers
Behind the Steel Curtain — ... Last season, running back Matt Forte led the Chicago Bears in receptions with 63. Second on the squad was tight end Greg Olson with 54, followed by speed merchant Devon Hester with 51. Before I go on, how anemic was the Bears passing offense last year!?! Sheesh. I digress. Forte led all running backs last year with those 63 receptions, besting good friend Maurice Jones-Drew by a single reception. In Sunday's 21-15 loss to the Packers, the Bears only threw to Forte just once. It was during the 2nd quarter and Chicago was ...

NFL Picks & Pans: Week 2
Baltimore Beatdown — ... of the 2009 season while Tampa falls further behind in the NFC South at 0-2. 49ers over Seahawks:  San Francisco is a tough team as evidenced by their road victory over the defending NFC Champs last week, while Seattle won't find it so easy after playing the hapless Rams last week. Steelers over Bears:  I'd love to be able to pick Chicago in this one but Pittsburgh's defense will confuse and overwhelm Jay Cutler and Matt Forte is actually sitting this one out on my fantasy team! ...

Pour Some Sugar On Me - Who Are the Washington Redskins?
Hogs Haven — ... tilt, one team would run for 43 yards and the other for over 100 yards, I would have bet my life that the team that covered more territory on the ground would be the winner. Yet, the Bears pulled out the win despite only getting 29 yards from their feature back Matt Forte. ...

Shallow Thoughts & Nearsighted Observations
The Mile High Report — ... q.  Matt Forte is another story, entirely.  The Bears offensive line isn't very good, but Forte really didn't show much individually on Sunday.  My brother texted me recently asking me if I'd take ...

The Play Of The Game: Cutler to Olsen for 29 yds
Windy City Gridiron — ... was on the right side of the line as a TE.  Matt Forte was the lone running back.  Hester and Bennett both ran deep out routes, just deep enough for the safeties to have to respect them running a fly route, thus holding them from the middle long enough for Olsen to find an opening.  The fake to Forte held the linebackers momentarily to allow Olsen to get behind them.  Cutler actually made the pass before he had his feet set, yet he still threw a strike.  He made a confident throw, Olsen showed good concentration in holding on to ...

NightLink: Dan Pompei Answers Questions, and ESPN's Power Rankings
Windy City Gridiron — ...  about the lack of production from Matt Forte, about our group of WRs, and the pass rush during the first two games thus far.  Here's an excerpt: ...

BTSC Steelers Daily Six Pack- New Ownership Edition
Behind the Steel Curtain — ... , and even Matt Forte have definitely overshadowed Mendenhall in terms of national media attention but Rashard is still very young and has a little bit of time before people start applying the "B word" when referencing his name.  Hopefully his performance in Chicago will get him some more touches. ...

Answering Bears-Seahawks Questions from Nick Friedell of ESPN Chicago
Field Gulls — ... and attempts to create cutback lanes. Seattle has struggled breaking open holes and stopping backside pursuit. The pass game and particularly, the play-action game is more geared to deep passes, and Hasselbeck has struggled to make his deep throws. His arm was never strong, and it has weakened with age. He puts too much loft under the ball and rarely takes advantage of single-cover on the outside. 5. After what Frank Gore did, are the fans even more worried about Matt Forte? Or do they think Jim Mora has everything under control? I ...

Where's Admiral Ackbar When You Need Him?
Acme Packing Company — ... Green Bay did an excellent job in keeping Matt Forte under wraps in week 1, but then imploded when faced with the powerful blocking of Cincinnati's special run-blocking sub package of offensive linemen.  The clever coaching maneuver torched the Packers to the tune of 141 yards on 29 carries.  Naturally, this was helped by Green Bay's inability to wrap up on tackles, taking good angles towards ball carriers, and converging on the running back whenever a hole opened up. ...

Credit Where Credit's Due: Ron Turner
Windy City Gridiron — ... enough of a look to keep Matt Forte on their minds.  Even though Forte hasn't looked like the premier back many expected, he's still has respect league wide, and teams still game plan for the ...

Fantasy Football Focus on the Cowboys: Who to Start? Who to Sit?
Blogging The Boys — ... I will leave you with these jaw-dropping stats to help you decide. The Dallas D has given up, on average, 27 points and 438.5 yards per game! Until Wade Phillips proves to be Mr. Fix-It, sit this unit. After two weeks of fantasy footballing on Fleaflicker, the BTB and BTB Part Deux fantasy leagues are just starting to take shape. Like the NFL, it's still too early to draw any conclusions for the season. Players like RBs Steve Slaton, Matt Forte and WR Eddie Royal, who were fantasy studs last year, have yet to ...

Notes, Scribbles, and Things Jotted Down: Seahawks Game
Windy City Gridiron — ... ducking out in the open field, or heading out of bounds, the kid doesn't want to get hit. - On that crucial 4th and inches at the end, the camera was on Tommie Harris... and before the snap, he looked gassed.  He looked like he could barely stand up. - I hate the bend but don't break defense.  I hate the bend but don't break defense.  I hate the bend but don't break defense.  There, I said it 3 times while clicking my heels together. - Matt Forte quietly had over 100 yards in total offense last night. ...

Seattle Seahawks Dominate First Half but Fumble Away Lead and Cannot Recover
Field Gulls — ... put the defense on his shoulders and turned the odds in Seattle's favor. Curry shot into the backfield and tackled Matt Forte for a loss of two and then on the subsequent down, Gus Bradley worked a blitz to get Curry outside and around left end. He forced an uncalled hold, and stripped Cutler from behind. Seattle recovered. ...

BTSC Weekly NFL Musings: Week 3 Edition
Behind the Steel Curtain — ... * Fantasy Question of the Week for you - would you trade Chad Ocho Cinco for Matt Forte? Forte's value is fairly low right now after three non productive weeks. Ocho Cinco meanwhile looks to be back to his old ways, but from the looks of the Bengals' offense, it looks like they will continue to lean on the running game and distribute the ball fairly equally between their triumvirate of wide receivers - #85, Laverneus Coles and Chris Henry. ...

Darryl Tapp is Tyler Durden--No, Aaron Curry is the Narrator
Field Gulls — ... . The play turned into a run stuff that caught Matt Forte for a loss of one, but it would have crushed a pass too. Call it a blitz if you will, but Seattle ripped through the ...

NightLink: Say It Ain't So... Forte Compared To Bad Bears RB's
Windy City Gridiron — ... Over on Yahoo Sports Shutdown Corner Blog they do something no Chicago fan likes to see...  They compare Matt Forte to Curtis Enis and Rashaan Salaam, check out their full post, " ...

Fifty One-liners about the Second Quarter
Field Gulls — ... to tackle Earl Bennett on a wide receiver screen. 35. That hesitation allowed Chris Williams to pull out and block Jennings. 34. The reception went for 23 yards. 33. Deon Grant fell midway through a Greg Olsen route and left him wide open, but Jordan Babineaux stopped him at the reception point with a solid open field tackle. 32. Brandon Mebane was doubled off the line but Colin Cole held his ground and tackled Matt Forte after one yard on second and two. 31. Will Herring ...

Week 4 Preview: Lions (1-2) @ Bears (2-1)
Windy City Gridiron — ... of their own last week as well, having traveled to Seattle for what ended up being a much tougher contest than anticipated with the Seahawks.  But, after having virtually zero offensive rhythm early in the game, Jay Cutler and company put together a couple of late game drives, and came out with a well earned victory.  Cutler ended the day 21/27 for 247 yards and 3 TDs, while Devin Hester and Earl Bennett combined for 9 catches for 156 yards.  Matt Forte also had over 100 yards of total offense. Key Match ...

Week 4 Injury Report
Pride Of Detroit — ... Pos. Player Injury Status RB Matt Forte Knee Probable TE Desmond Clark ...

The Quotable Bears - Week Four
Windy City Gridiron — ... season. Matt is going to have a lot of yards for us and a lot of production, much like today." Jay Cutler on the 4-and-1 in the 2nd quarter: "Lovie was right there. He said we're going for it. We had a great call in. We felt really good about three or four different goal-line passes we had. We had already used the one [on a two-yard TD to Kellen Davis], so we went with the second one and Greg did a great job getting across the line." Matt Forte on his performance: "It feels good. That's what you ...

Drive-By-Drive Breakdown of Bears' 48-24 Win Over Lions
Pride Of Detroit — ... Matt Forte broke free for a gain of 61 yards only two plays into the Bears' first drive of the game, running right down the middle of the field, where no defenders were able to get to him initially.  ...

Notes, Scribbles, and Things Jotted Down: Lions Edition
Windy City Gridiron — ... But, for those who have been worried about Matt Forte from a fantasy angle, he ended the day with 121 yards and a TD on the ground, with 19 yards sprinkled in from receptions. ...

Shallow Thoughts & Nearsighted Observations
The Mile High Report — ... j.  I've been thinking this all season, and I am picking a pretty unlikely time to say it, maybe on purpose.  Matt Forte is a completely average running back, who fits in really well with all of the widespread averageness on the offensive side of the ball for Chicago.  He's not really quick or fast, and he runs really upright.  I know he misses all the checkdown throws he got from Kyle Orton, and I have to wonder how often Kyle checked into a better running play than what was called in the huddle for him. ...

Comcast Red Zone Recap: Week 4
Pride Of Detroit — ... when Kevin Smith took it into the end zone from 3 yards out.  Smith may have struggled during this game, but he was great down by the goal line. The only other time the Lions were in the red zone was in the fourth quarter.  Detroit moved the ball all the way down to the 6-yard line, and then Matthew Stafford was sacked and injured, leading to a Jason Hanson field goal. Bears - 5 scores on 5 chances (4 touchdowns, 1 field goal) Matt Forte's big run for 61 yards looked like it was going to set up a quick ...

Preview: Bears (3-1) BYE WEEK
Windy City Gridiron — ... Among the positives of the game were Matt Forte’s two big runs (61 and 37T), as the running game had not made much impact in the first 3 weeks of the season. On the flip side, the Bears still struggled in pass coverage, and saw many of their blitzes get stonewalled once again. They’ll have the bye week to remedy some of the problems and get healthy for a trip to Atlanta on Sunday Night Football next week. ...

Packers Strength: Rodgers and The Run Defense
Acme Packing Company — ... is still a nasty bruise, but they've also had big games shutting down RB Matt Forte and RB Adrian Peterson. This is a much better unit than last season, and now they've proven it in more than one game. The entire defense has struggled with consistency, which isn't too surprising since it's going to take some time getting used to playing for Dom Capers. The same goes for Capers; he's got to figure out who are his best players. The big moment for them was the 4th quarter against the ...

Ending The Bye Week Blues
Acme Packing Company — ... Push.  While Green Bay has the clear advantage on paper, I want to see more results before I declare them to have any sort of edge. GB rushing vs. DET defense: Detroit's run defense was one of the many weak points in 2008.  Thus far in 2009, it hasn't been fixed.  The Lions give up 4.9 yards per attempt on the ground.  That includes performances of 142 yards by Mike Bell, 92 yards by Adrian Peterson, 121 yards by Matt Forte, and 77 yards by Rashard Mendenhall.  Jim Schwartz has tried ...

Saturday Pre-Game Notes: Mauling the Chicago Bears
Sports Page Atlanta — ... are no doubt salivating over. Their number one rock carrier, Matt Forte, has been relatively quiet of late and I fully expect Chicago to try to get him the ball early and often against our assumed suspect rush defense. Expect Smitty and company to be anticipating this, though. I have a feeling we'll see better rush coverage. Oh, and a few more forced fumbles would help too. ...

Notes, Scribbles, and Things Jotted Down: Falcons Edition
Windy City Gridiron — ... so lost. Penalties, miscues, blown coverage... we had two weeks to get our game together.  Shame on our coaches. - Garrett Wolfe looked nice in kick off coverage.  Not sure why he's making special teams tackles when he's the only other RB active for the game, but he looked good nonetheless. - Ron Turner tried twice to throw the ball to Jason McKie, once as a screen in Q1, and once in play-action near the goal line in Q3. - Matt Forte continues to excel in picking up the blitz.  Great ...

Falcons And Bears Recap: Hanging Tough And Winning Big
Sports Page Atlanta — ... off balance for much of the night. Lofton continued to add to his formidable legend, piling up ten tackles, forcing a fumble and absolutely crushing Matt Forte on a run which otherwise might have gone for a touchdown. These guys are as hard-nosed at they come, and both are criminally underrated outside of Atlanta. That may start to change. ...

The good the bad and the ugly of week 6
Niners Nation — ... On second and goal from the 1, Matt Forte of the Bears decided to give the ball to Atlanta.  Atlanta didn't take it, so on 3rd and goal he tried to give it to them again.  He even kicked the ball away from him for good measure.  Forte, who only had 2 fumbles in his previous 398 carries, fumbled on back to back plays.  The Bears out gained Atlanta 373-253, but it was their mistakes that did them in.  To go with Forte's fumbles, ...

Cowboys Look for a Different Conclusion Against the Falcons
Blogging The Boys — ... On the first point, Chicago's offense bears many strong similarities to Dallas'.  Norv Turner's brother Ron coordinates the Bears scheme and his playbook resembles his brothers, as does Jason Garrett.  The younger Turner also has an offense which will remind you of Dallas;  an all-purpose hammer of a running back in Matt Forte; a smaller, quicker change up back in ...

Top Three Issues That Have To Be Addressed
Windy City Gridiron — ... The Bears running game is off to a dreadfully slow start (see: issue #1), and it doesn't help that our roster, which started with four RBs, is down to two.  With Kevin Jones on the IR, and Adrian Peterson nursing an injured knee, we are left with only Matt Forte and ...

Bears Aren't Only Local Team Going Pink
Windy City Gridiron — ... In youth football (pre high school) it's common to see the players trying to emulate their favorite players like Brian Urlacher and Lance Briggs, or Matt Forte and Jay Cutler.  As a coach you try and have the kids pick out a player to watch to learn from, whether it's on Sunday, Saturday, or even Friday nights.  You tell the linemen to focus in on the trenches and watch their technique to see how they use leverage and positioning to get the block made.  You have your signal caller watch how the quarterback ...

It's not a revenge game Cedric Benson says; local media calls it Benson Bowl 2009!
Cincy Jungle — ... and rebuild his career with the Bengals while the Bears found a good replacement in Matt Forte. But one has to wonder, is Benson calling this weekend's game against the Bears, a revenge game, which local writers are calling " ...

Matt Forte: Where's He Running?
Windy City Gridiron — ... fans have finally started tapering down areas to place the blame.  Early in the season, Ron Turner was being criticized for his uninventive play-calling.  But, it didn't take long before Matt Forte was being assigned the blame for his poor start. However, in light of the loss in Atlanta, a lot of fans are starting to look at the offensive line as the root of the problem. ...

That sound you're hearing is a million cups receving a healthy pour of Orange Kool-Aid. Bengals destroy Bears, 45-10
Cincy Jungle — ... and they held Matt Forte to 24 yards on six attempts (which admittedly falls back to the offense and their quick start, god bless 'em!).  ...

Formula For Success: 5 Positions
Windy City Gridiron — ... Running Back—The team is relying on Matt Forte right now, Forte isn’t producing. Some people say oh but it’s all the Oline’s fault! Well while the Oline is not helping Matt Forte is running scared, going down after one hit, and not juking guys out in open space like he did last year. It’s not to say that we should give up on Matt Forte, but it’s unfair to him to have him be a solo back, if you look at the best teams in the league they usually have a prominent 2 backs splitting carries, and some have a three headed ...

Shallow Thoughts & Nearsighted Observations
The Mile High Report — ... to hit his choice of open players.  Benson is 10 times the player that Matt Forte is.  The magnitude of the difference is akin to comparing ...

Why The 3 Step Drop?
Windy City Gridiron — ...  have good Yards After the Catch receivers?  Right now the Bears sit at 20th in the NFL with 665 YAC (RB Matt Forte leads them with 164).  You either need the big physical presence at WR like ...

Comcast Red Zone: Keys to Victory
Windy City Gridiron — ... Matt Forte and the Bears offensive line have struggled to put together any sort of running game this year, despite the deceptive yards per carry average that mirrors last year's efforts.  Anyone who has been watching the Bears over the last two seasons know that if you take away 2 carries from Forte's 2009 season thus far, his performance has been significantly lower than 2008. ...

Week 8 Preview: Bears (3-3) vs. Browns (1-6)
Windy City Gridiron — ... You've gotta pound the rock baby!  While the Browns manage to rank 24th in passing defense, their rushing defense is, in the words of Sir Charles Barkley, just turrable.  Cleveland gives up over 170 yards rushing per game, allowing almost 5 yards per carry.  Even though Adrian Peterson should be back for the Bears this week, expect a heavy dose of Matt Forte. ...

As Browns Take on Bears, is Chicago's Future Really in Good Shape?
Dawgs By Nature — ... Matt Forte has seen his carries go down from last season. After averaging nearly 20 carries a game last season, that figure has dropped to 15 carries per game. I expected Forte's carries to increase this season, with Cutler being efficient by picking his spots to move the ball down the field and utilize some of the speed Chicago has in ...

Browns vs. Bears Primer - Joshua Cribbs and Devin Hester
Dawgs By Nature — ... Browns RB Jamal Lewis as struggled with a 3.4 yards per carry average this season, but Bears RB Matt Forte hasn't had much more luck with a 3.5 yards per carry average. ...

Bears Defense Come To Play - Bears Win 30-6
Windy City Gridiron — ... The Bears have 5 of the next 7 games at home, this stretch is where the Bears need to make a move.  But to do that they are going to have to fix or find some patches for this offensive line.  Jay Cutler was sacked 4 times and was under pressure for most of the day.  Forte showed some signs of life today, if the line can start opening some holes Forte is ready to get this thing  moving. Stats Jay  Cutler : 225 yards, 1 INT Matt Forte: 90 yards, 2 TDs Devin Hester: 7 receptions and ...

Post-Game Thread: Mistakes Are Plentiful Again Against Bears
Dawgs By Nature — ... Bears. Halloween might have been yesterday, but our offensive players obviously felt like giving a few treats to the defense. The Browns had five turnovers, and here is what each of those turnovers led to: Anderson Picked in 1st Quarter: A 29-yard field goal by Robbie Gould Anderson Fumbled in 2nd Quarter: A 32-yard field goal by Robbie Gould Heiden Fumbled in 3rd Quarter: A 10-yard touchdown run by Matt Forte Massaquoi Fumbled in 4th Quarter: ...

The Quotable Bears - Week Eight
Windy City Gridiron — ... I really don't know what to make of this game....there were some positive things and some lingering questions that we can take from this game. I'll run through the 5 things I know: 1) Matt Forte is still not right I'm going to stress this early: It's not all of his fault. Our OL is abysmal. At the same time, some of it is his fault. I don't know why but he's developed "Ceddy feet" - Benson used to always shuffle, hesitate, and hit the hole. Unfortunately, Forte has found that habit to be quite delightful. He needs to ...

Notes, Scribbles, and Things Jotted Down: Browns Edition
Windy City Gridiron — ... - Matt Forte is falling victim to our lackluster OL play.  If I were to grade Forte, I'd say he is a 7 out of 10, with 8 being a Pro Bowl RB.  Luckily, he is still very young, and dependable. ...

Kamerion Wimbley and Browns Defense Play With Fire Despite 30-6 Loss to Bears
Dawgs By Nature — ... . He was subbed in after Eric Wright went down with an injury. On Francies' first play (I think), the Bears ran the ball with Matt Forte, who sprinted to the edge for a 10-yard touchdown. Soon after that, Francies left with an injury of his own, forcing ...

Nightlink: Bears O too complicated?
Windy City Gridiron — ... :) * Devin Hesterlooked good in the return game, and his 7 catches for 81 yards has him with 35 receptions on the year (tied with Anquan Boldin and T.J. Houshmandzadeh) for 10th in the NFC, and 454 yards, good for 9th best in the NFC. Still not #1 WR numbers, but it's a heck of a start. Anyway back to the article from Biggs. He sort of compliments Matt Forte, but points out a missed blitz pick up he had. ...

Angelo's Drafting Prowess Not Seen On Offensive Line
Windy City Gridiron — ... only one lineman has been drafted higher than the 6th round (Josh Beekman).  And as you can see, in two of those years, we didn't select any.  Not exactly building the foundation via the draft like he is known for, is it? LeGere does go on to make sure we remember that Angelo has had success in the draft... That's not to condemn Angelo's drafting record.  The team's topfive receivers- Devin Hester, Earl Bennett, Matt Forte, Johnny Knox, and Greg Olsen- are all Angelo draft ...

Notes, Scribbles, and Things Jotted Down: Cardinals Edition
Windy City Gridiron — ... post, things would have happened.  I know it's his first year on the field, but he's gotta be more aware.  Against zone defenses, you have to find the soft spots... not run straight to a defender. - My prediction of turnovers, penalties, and QB sacks for both teams did not some true.  Well, Cutler did get nailed, and the Bears did have too many penalties.  But I was thinking it would go both ways. - As of the 10 minute mark in the second quarter, Matt Forte had exactly one rush. - Question:  If it's 3rd and 5 ...

NightLink: How to fix the Bears
Windy City Gridiron — ... When I watch the Bears, I think the offensive line is a major problem. The running lanes for Matt Forte aren't there, and the pocket too often collapses around Cutler. ...

Week 10 Preview: Bears (4-4) @ 49ers (3-5)
Windy City Gridiron — ... 3 TD performance from Jay Cutler, who was running for his life all afternoon. Greg Olsen was the recipient of all 3 TDs, as he enjoyed the best game of his career. Tommie Harris got ejected on the 4th play from scrimmage for punching a Cardinals lineman in the face... it was the only punch the Bears defense packed all day.  Quick Numbers: 23.9: Points allowed per game by the Bears defense. 5: Rushing attempts for Matt Forte last Sunday vs the Cardinals.  65.7: Alex ...

Post-Game Thread: Niners Whooped Us Edition
Windy City Gridiron — ... Quick stats: Bears had 43 rushing yards, and 75 penalty yards, while 0-2 in the Red Zone and 5 turnovers. Cutler ended with 307 passing yards, and 0 TDs/ 5 INTS. Matt Forte: 161 yards of total offense, but only 2.1 yards/ carry. Frank Gore ended with 104 yards on the ground, and San Fran only had 1 turnover. Our OL is pathetic. And Doc Sports (or whatever user ID you go by these days) only comes around WCG when Cutler struggles.  

San Francisco 49ers 10 - Chicago Bears 6: Roman robs Cutler, Defense steals win
Niners Nation — ... The Bears began their march, by heading backwards, being penalized 25 yards total in the next two plays.  Fifteen of those penalty yards came after a 12-yard catch by Matt Forte, which put the Bears back into a 2nd and long situation.  Cutler briefly took over, completing 3 passes to ...

Notes, Scribbles, and Things Jotted Down: Niners Edition
Windy City Gridiron — ... - Teams continue to miss FGs against the Bears.  What's up with that? - Hunter Hillenmeyer looked tiny last night.  I don't know for sure, but he looks 10 pounds lighter than he did at the beginning of the year.  Was it the injury?  Either way, he did not look like a MLB last night.  He looked like a unsersized CB trying to make one tackle on Frank Gore. - Jay Cutler likes Greg Olsen as a receiver.  Matt Forte does not like Greg Olsen as a run blocker. - We saw our first ...

49ers 10 - Bears 6: Play-by-play
Niners Nation — ... 3. I don't like our OLBs. They're not big enough to get pressure on the QB, and they're not quick enough to chase down speed guys on the outside. We get killed with outside runs and screens. (Matt Forte had 120 yards receiving against us. Chris Johnson burned us for 135 yards on the ground (would've been closer to 200 if not for some penalties).  ...

Bears Effective With The Screen
Windy City Gridiron — ... I'm not saying teams don't run this screen to the right, it's just all about your personnel and field position.  The Bears had a lot of success last week hitting Matt Forte on the screen.  He's a good receiver and the more you can get him the ball the better.  Now if only he had the same burst as last year...  but that is for another blog... ...

Philadelphia Eagles opponents preview - Chicago Bears
Bleeding Green Nation — ... week eleven every game becomes a must win especially for these two teams who are hovering right around the .500 mark. Despite the fact that Eagles have lost their last two games, they are still a far better team than the Bears. They have more talent at the skill positions and a QB who knows how to take care of the ball. Defensively, despite being thin in the secondary, the only real threat Chicago has is Devin Hester. The key will be to shut down RB Matt Forte and put the ball in Cutler’s hands as right now he could ...

Matt Forte: Where's He Running? Volume II
Windy City Gridiron — ... A few weeks ago, we broke down some rushing stats for Matt Forte, focusing on the success he was having in each hole, as well as the "by down" success rate (1st down runs, 2nd down, etc.). ...

Pick 6: Impact Players In 2010
Windy City Gridiron — ... Matt Forte:  Great vision, excellent shiftiness.  Very young...will only get better.  Great receiving threat. ...

Garrett Wolfe Out For the Year
Windy City Gridiron — Garrett Wolfe has a lacerated kidney that will sideline him the rest of the year.  So who is out there?  Larry Johnson looks very tantalizing right now but our old nemisis Cincinnatti picked him up.  We are getting really thin at this position.  Can you say Tiki Barber?  Trade deadline has passed so if Matt Forte gets hurt, we are in deep trouble.  It looks to me like the Bears are going to have to scour the practice squads of every team in the NFL to find some ...

The Official Fantasy Football Thread – Week 11. The place for fantasy talk, thought, questions and general fantasy ranting.
Field Gulls — ... Let’s talk a little about "Luck" as it pertains to fantasy football.  I completely believe there are times where you make your own luck, but we have to be cognizant that there are times where things just break bad.  One team in my keeper league has ZERO luck.  Two weeks ago, he made a blockbuster, trading Matt Forte for Roy Williams, a 2nd round pick, and a RB outperforming Forte with a less attractive contract, ...

Week 11 Preview: Eagles (5-4) @ Bears (4-5)
Windy City Gridiron — ... to win the game. As if the game wasn't bad enough, there were 19 penalties called between the two teams, giving viewers plenty of time to complain about the previous Cutler interception. One of the lone bright spots was Zachary Bowman, who had his 3rd INT in his last 5 games... however, he left the game with abdominal injury and never returned.    Quick Numbers: 17: Jay Cutler INTs on the year. 194: Receiving yards for Matt Forte in the last two weeks.  46: Receptions for TE ...

Five Good Questions on the Chiefs and Steelers Matchup
Arrowhead Pride — ... not too late in the season to make some adjustments to keep teams more off balance, but as of now, I have to believe that Arians and the offense are in a way letting teams off the hook by being so predictable. AP: The Chiefs will be featuring Jamaal Charles. Have shiftier, quicker backs like Charles fared better or worse against the Steelers No. 1 rush defense? BTSC: No, not really. Darren Sproles couldn't find much running room for example. Matt Forte of the Bears, who might be qualified as somewhat of a ...

Any Given Sunday, Week 11 NFL Preview
Niners Nation — ... can hold it together in primetime. In three games this season he has thrown 11 interceptions. Cutler's inconsistency and running back Matt Forte's sophomore slump have kept Chicago's offense from being successful this year. Things won't get any easier against Philadelphia's defense which is ranked 3rd in Defense DVOA. They will need to avoid obvious run or pass situations, because those are the times when Philadelphia's defense shines the brightest. Unfortunately for the Bears, their defense has not been able to make up for the offenses' ...

Notes, Scribbles, and Things Jotted Down: Eagles Edition
Windy City Gridiron — ... linebackers blitzed, all into different holes.  Vick's one second hesitation was enough for him to see which hole to run into. - From the More Things That Fall On the Head Coach's Shoulders department: Getting off the field on 3rd down, and Penalties. - The offensive line will have to be retooled for next year, or we may see Jay Cutler standing outside Halas Hall with a picket sign in his hands. - We saw a 4 WR set on the Bears first drive, but Matt Forte was given the ball on a sweep. - Cutler missed 3 TDs ...

Week 12 Preview: Bears (4-6) at Vikings (9-1)
Windy City Gridiron — ... company shot themselves in the foot again... letting a winnable game vs the Eagles get away. Only this time, Cutler waited until the final possession in the 4th quarter, with the game on the line, to throw his first INT of the game. Kudos Jay... way to keep us in suspense.  Quick Numbers: 112.1: Brett Favre's QB rating on the year.  875: Receiving yards for Sidney Rice... 4th in the NFL.  3.3: Matt Forte's YPC on the season. 18: Interceptions for ...

Hope You Left Room for More Turkey, because Here Comes Jay!
Daily Norseman — ... (By the way, if you see Matt Forte tomorrow, be sure to warn him that he should probably watch out for his safety. There are millions of people that want to kill him for absolutely destroying their fantasy teams.) ...

Chicago Bears VS. Minnesota Vikings
Windy City Gridiron — ... could lose bad enough that they eat  Lovie's contract and shell out 10 mil a year for Cowher is enough reason to root for them to lose?   But somehow the Bears have a knack of staying in ugly low scoring games.  If the defense can keep it close, and a return or a few turnovers go our way, maybe we have a shot against this high powered Minnesota offense.  Of course for that to happen our offensive line needs to man up and protect Jay Cutler and give Matt Forte a hole or two to run through.   I'm not opportunistic, but ...

Chicago Bears VS. Minnesota Vikings - 2nd Half
Windy City Gridiron — ... could lose bad enough that they eat  Lovie's contract and shell out 10 mil a year for Cowher is enough reason to root for them to lose?   But somehow the Bears have a knack of staying in ugly low scoring games.  If the defense can keep it close, and a return or a few turnovers go our way, maybe we have a shot against this high powered Minnesota offense.  Of course for that to happen our offensive line needs to man up and protect Jay Cutler and give Matt Forte a hole or two to run through.   I'm not opportunistic, but ...

Vikings Smoke Bears 36-10
Windy City Gridiron — ...  Between lack of a running game, lack of protection, penalties and turnovers, the Bears didn't have much time to actually try to move the ball down field. The Vikings moved the ball up and down the field at will.  The Bears had no answer and watched helplessly as the Vikings converted 3rd and long time after time, after the Bears worked hard to get them into that position.  Stats: Jay Cutler: 147 yds.  1 TD, 2 INT Matt Forte: 8 carries for 23 yards Greg Olsen: 7 receptions ...

Favre Dominates Chicago as Vikings Sweep Homestand
Daily Norseman — ... nailed a field goal to salvage a disaster of a drive, but the defense was dominant. Matt Forte was a complete non-factor. ...