Chicago’s offense without Matt Forte: What offence?
When a running back has the potential to be both the leading rusher and receiver in the same game, you know you have a real weapon in your hands. Lovie Smith has exactly that kind of a weapon at his disposal in running back Matt
Forte.
“As a running back who can run and catch the ball, I expected to be used a lot,” Forte said. A lot is an understatement considering his role and his performance against the Green Bay Packers in the National Football Conference
Championship game.
On Sunday it appeared as if Forte was the only player in Chicago’s offence, carrying Chicago’s rush solely on his own shoulders. He rushed 70 yards on 17 carries. Chicago rushed a total of 83 yards.
Forte was also the leading receiver. On Sunday, Chicago’s three quarterbacks were able to complete only 19 passes. Forte caught 10 of those for 90 yards in that game. In all, Forte contributed more than half of the 301 net yards
the Bears gained against the Packers.
“I don't think you can use Matt Forte too much,” Bears coach Lovie Smith said. “Our plan, of course, was to keep him involved and get him more involved with everything. So, no, I can't say we used him too much.” No one would disagree
with Smith on that. If anything, they should have used Forte more (and Cutler less) and maybe Chicago could have won the NFC Championship. Forte said that he always expects a heavy workload but even he wouldn’t have thought that he would be carrying half the
burden of the entire offence.
His performance on Sunday has put Forte’s name in the record books. He is now the only player in the Bears’ history to gain more than 50 yards, rushing and receiving, in multiple playoff games. Yes, multiple playoff games. Forte
received 54 yards and rushed 80 against the Seattle Seahawks to help take the Bears to the NFC Championship. Forte still didn’t have a touchdown in either of those games.
Chicago’s rushing offence isn’t particularly effective and that is because they have no one except Forte that they can depend on. He led Chicago’s rush with 1,069 yards in the regular season and six rushing touchdowns. His longest
carry was a 68-yard touchdown run against the Carolina Panthers.
The closest anyone else on the roster came close to measuring up to Forte was running back Chester Taylor. He gained just 267 yards in the regular season. Without Forte, Chicago’s rush would practically not exist.
“I think I'm playing very well,” Forte said. Even with his phenomenal statistics, Forte maintains that he isn’t playing at his best. “I won't set a limit or anything, because I know I can always get better.”
In addition to six rushing touchdowns, Forte contributed three receiving touchdowns in the regular season. He caught as many passes as Chicago’s leading receiver, Johnny Knox. His longest reception was an outstanding 89-yard touchdown
pass he caught against the Detroit Lions.
“(This season) has been very enjoyable,” Forte said. “It just goes to show you how much hard work pays off.” Forte started the regular season the same way he ended the postseason, as the leading rusher and receiver. In the regular
season he rushed more than 90 yards in three games and more than a hundred in three others.
“Matt is just outrageous the way he's playing,” offensive coordinator Mike Martz in an interview. “He's been fantastic. I knew he was really a good player, but right now he's been pretty special.”
At six-foot-two and 218 lbs, Forte isn’t your typical running back. He is extremely quick for his size. “I think that does surprise people, particularly when he comes out of the backfield,” Martz said. “His kind of speed does shock
some of those linebackers.”
Forte doesn’t just have speed. He plays intelligent football and has been consistently driving Chicago’s offence, sometimes by himself.
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