A lot of people will be looking at the Chicago Bears this year.
They will be looking at how Jay Cutler performs in his second year. They will be looking at Mike Martz and whether his new offensive scheme will work. And, of course, they will be looking at whether or not the Bears make the playoffs.
While those are all valid questions that will soon be answered in this upcoming NFL season, there is another person who all Bears observers should be looking at as well: Matt Forte.
After a solid rookie year and then last year’s struggles, Forte’s third year is critical for himself and the team.
The young running back played last year with hamstring and knee injuries. Still, when I look at Forte, I see a good running back who can catch the ball.
What I don’t see is an exceptional running back who can overpower you with his ability, or a runner who makes his own highlights.
Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images
Forte needs a good foundation around him. Under Martz’s new system, he’ll fit very well, but so will Chester Taylor, a player who was hand-picked by Martz.
Forte has only had two 100+ rushing yard games in his past 21, and they both came against the Lions. He has yet to rush for an average of four yards per carry for a season, he had a serious fumble problem last season, and was not so good when it came to short yardage situations.
You can put some of the blame on the offensive line; but, to me, Forte doesn’t look like a serious difference maker or playmaker for the Bears.
Forte’s sophomore slump season, Chester Taylor, and a new offensive system mean that the 2010-2011 season is easily Forte’s biggest yet.
It’s going to be like his rookie season in a sense that he’s going to have to prove that he is the choice for the number one running back, that he can be a difference maker and make his own plays when he doesn’t get much help.
How well the passing game does affects how well the running game does and visa versa. That’s a football fact. Forte has a big role in helping Cutler become that “franchise” quarterback the team wants him to be.
We’ll see if Forte can fill that role next season.
About Tyler Juranovich
