Up for Discussion: Could Charlie Weis Be the New Chicago Bears Head Coach?

There are rumors floating around that Charlie Weis is interested in the head coaching position for the Chicago Bears.

With Lovie Smith flailing at the arms as the head coach, I am all for a change in the guard,but I’m not sure Charlie Weis is head coach material.

I will shy away from getting into specifics about his work at Notre Dame.  I have a feeling that his woes were more on the recruiting end, rather than system-wise.

But with that said, I still think he is better suited as an offensive coordinator.

And with Ron Turner needing to be fired, wouldn’t the obvious choice be Charlie Weis?

With the success that he has had running the offense for the New England Patriots from 2000 to 2004 (winning three Super Bowls), wouldn’t it be worth the charge to bring him in as the offensive coordinator?

How much of a risk would the Bears be taking by bringing him in with the promise that he can take over for Lovie Smith after his contract runs out (assuming the Bears’ front office isn’t going to let him go)?

I’m sure the major issue with bringing him in as a coordinator would be that he will be receiving offers for head coaching positions, but why not offer him the coordinator job right now?  What good is keeping Turner on to the end of the season and beyond?  This season is already a lost cause, so why not make the preemptive strike and offer him the job now?

His style of offense he ran in New England would work perfectly here in Chicago.  They based their offense behind a smash-mouth style of play, maximizing their time of possession.

He liked to set up the passing game by using the running game and play-action passes, which, if the Bears had a better line, they could utilize more often.

It used a spread wide open offense, as he liked to refer to it. With the speed the Bears have at receiver, and the talent they have at tight end and running back concerning catching the ball, the spread offense would be a perfect format for the Bears to run.

I believe the risk of bringing him on as the head coach would be worth it, considering Lovie is not doing that good of a job, but I would prefer they utilize his talents more and hire him as the offensive coordinator.

Which role do you think Weis would be best suited for the Bears?

Do you even want him on the coaching staff?

Discuss.

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The 12 Most Intriguing Free Agency Options for the 2010 Chicago Bears

With the 2009 season already down the crapper, I guess it is time to start looking forward to 2010.

Without having a first or second round pick in next year’s draft, the Bears are going to have a tough time building up their roster through young players, so free agency is the next best option.

Of course, this all hinges on the Collective Bargaining Agreement being signed. If one is not reached, the 2010 season will be played without a salary cap, which if the Bears brass weren’t such tightwads might actually be a good thing considering the Bears play in one of the biggest markets and make considerable amounts of money each year.

So, while reading this article, just assume the CBA has been settled and all is well in NFL land.

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This Is Exactly What I Feel Like Doing To The Chicago Bears

Whether it be depantsing them myself and exposing their weak manhood or depantsing myself in front of their team bus, I feel like showing off my butt cheeks the same way Devin Hester did last night on NBC Sunday Night Football.

The only difference between him showing his butt and me showing mine is that mine would be funny.

At least, I would think so.

I will admit that the Bears played somewhat well in the game last night, going up against a good team in the Philadelphia Eagles.

They still can’t run the ball, and the defense definitely needs help learning to cover wide receivers and how to make a correct form tackle.

But, when it came down to it, they had a chance to win the game.  And, in today’s NFL that is all you can really ask for with your favorite team.

But, the Jay Cutler saga continues, and for all intents and purposes, the Chicago Bears are now 4-6 because of his misjudgment.

I am not aware of what the gambling line was on last night’s game, but the way Cutler missed three “easy” touchdown passes, it would almost seem as if the man had money on the game remaining close.  And, in the end, he needed his team to lose, which meant missing a streaking Johnny Knox for an easy touchdown at the end of the game.

And, horribly missing Devin Hester at the end of the game for an easy first down.

Even worse were the two missed TD passes to Greg Olsen and Devin Hester on back-to-back passes.

No NFL quarterback should miss wide open receivers twenty yards down the field, and in the end zone.

Thus, it remains a fact…Jay Cutler is a horrible red zone quarterback.

Thus, it also remains a fact…the Chicago Bears suck.

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50th Article, 50 Reasons Why NOT to Watch The Chicago Bears

1. They suck!

2. They have two of the fastest wide receivers in the NFL, but never throw the ball deep.

3. Ron Turner still has a job despite No. 2.

4. They’re 4-5 after playing teams that are a combined 38-42.

5. The remainder of their opponents are 32-30 (helped out, greatly, by Minnesota).  Still… if they can’t beat bad teams, why on earth would they be able to beat halfway decent teams?

6. They are four games out of first in the NFC North.

7. There are eight teams with better records than them in the NFC, and two with the same. Only six teams make the playoffs and I can’t make a legitimate argument that says they are better than any of those 10 teams.

8. Ron Turner STILL has the job as offensive coordinator.

9. Jay Cutler has thrown 17 interceptions through nine games. He’s on pace for 30.

10. Matt Forte averages less than three yards per rush for an entire game almost as often as he averages more than three yards per rush (4 games under 3.0, 5 over).

11. They lost their last game 10-6, which became the second most boring game this season, just narrowly beating out the 6-3 debacle that was the Cleveland Browns against the Buffalo Bills.

12. Wait, I think Jay Cutler just threw another interception.

13. Before the season started, the entire city was buzzing and the fans had such high hopes to have a winning team that might make its way back into the playoffs. Now, it looks as if we will be lucky to be a .500 team.

14. Every time I watch the games, I remind myself that the Bears don’t have a first- or second-round draft pick next year to help fill all the holes they have on the team.

15. The Bears traded that second-round draft pick for Gaines Adams, a player who has played, sparingly, in only one of his five games with the Bears, accumulating two tackles.

16. The New England Patriots acquired Randy Moss for a fourth round draft pick a few years back. He is a Pro-Bowl wide receiver and a surefire Hall of Famer. Gaines Adams has 13.5 sacks in his two-plus year career. What does it say about their front office that they get suckered into giving away a second-round draft pick for a young guy who hasn’t even proven himself to be a reliable pass rusher yet?

17. No matter what is going on in the game, I will always assume the Bears defense will give up a big play. And, they usually do.

18. I get pissed off whenever I see Jay Cutler on the sideline acting like nothing is going on in his life. I’m not sure I’ll ever have complete faith in him.

19. Devin Hester is not returning kicks anymore. I can’t imagine that him returning kicks would take away too much from him learning the receiver position.

20. Lovie Smith calling the defensive plays has been a mistake. Maybe you would want to call something that can get someone close to putting pressure on the quarterback?

21. I feel as if the Bears keep waiting for the weather to turn, as if that is going to be the turning point of their season. Yeah, because no other team is used to playing in cold weather at this point.

22. Take away our two 30-plus point games this season, and our offense is scoring 15.4 points per game. 

23. Take away our two 10-or-less points scored against games, and our defense is giving up 26.4 points per game.

24. Neither of those numbers add up to a watchable team.

25. Did I mention that Ron Turner still is an NFL offensive coordinator?

26. Adewale Ogunleye has five sacks. Alex Brown has four. Nobody else on the team has more than one. If the offense wasn’t so bad, I would say that, maybe, I would DVR the games and fast forward through the defensive series and watch the offensive, but that would be, well, offensive.

27. Danieal Manning is one tackle behind Lance Briggs for tops on the team. We all know what it means when a teams safety is (almost) leading the way in tackles.

28. None of our players are dating Hollywood celebrities, so we can’t even get a cameo appearance by a sexy starlet the way some other teams do.

29. Not only that, but we don’t even have cheerleaders. We can’t even get the obligatory cheerleader cleavage shot going to and coming back from commercials.

30. Hold on a minute, I just picked off Jay Cutler and ran it back for a touchdown while he was just laying on the ground, sulking, with his face mask stuck in the grass. I need to catch my breath.

31. Our wide receivers have made strides in becoming an average NFL receiving corps, but they still have a long way to go. With all the playmaking abilities they should have, they sure don’t make a lot of big plays. It’s saying something when Jay Cutler was all world outside of the pocket the past couple years and then comes to Chicago and all of the sudden can’t find an open receiver once he leaves the pocket (or when he stays in the pocket, for that matter). Devin Hester, Earl Bennett, and Johnny Knox are no Brandon Marshall and Eddie Royal.

32. The most positive statement the media and fans can come up with to say about our team is that we still have seven games to go.

33. Too bad that statement can also be used as the most negative.

34. The Bears are minus-five in turnovers this season. I can’t remember a time (without looking it up) when the Bears were on the other end of the turnover spectrum. That was the way they used to win games.

35. In the spirit of the number 50, the Bears just got beat by the team whose coach wore the most famous of 50s in Bears history, Mike Singletary.

36. It has been a pain to find something positive to write about, so if I didn’t watch at all, maybe I wouldn’t struggle so much.

37. I’d be able to sleep better at night not being so upset about my favorite team’s inability to put together a full, four quarter, well-thought-out game plan.

38. I’d also be able to sleep better next week and the Monday after Christmas, considering those are both night games, and I wouldn’t have to stay up to watch them.

39. If only looking toward next week’s game against Philadelphia, consider this a warning; Cutler’s worst performances have all come in night games, Green Bay in Week One (4 INTs), Atlanta in Week Six (2 INTs), and San Francisco this past Thursday (5 INTs). In case you haven’t heard, it’s Bears-Eagles, Sunday night football.

40. Our backup quarterback is Caleb Hanie. If things keep going the way they are, he could see playing time. Some people are looking forward to this. This is number 40 on my list of reasons NOT to watch. If you cannot tell, I’m not looking forward to that happening.

41. I’m not a Kyle Orton fan, but it stings a little to see his team having success this season compared to the un-success the Bears are having.

42. I’m not sure what to make of this stat, but the Bears have four first-round draft picks and two second-round draft picks among their starting 11 on offense. And, one first-round draft pick and two second-round draft picks on the defensive side. For some reason, this fact angers me.

43. The Chicago Bears do not allow fans to stay in the parking lots during the game. With the team putting together such craptacular performances, they should be happy that fans show up at all and pay their overpriced ways into the stadium.

44. Sometimes I feel like I’m bad luck. Perhaps, if I stop watching, the Bears will start winning. If I decide to not watch, I will let you know how that goes for the Bears.

45. Ok, I know, I know, but I STILL can’t believe Ron Turner has not been fired as offensive coordinator for the Chicago Bears.

46. The Bears executives are such tightwads that you know they are not willing to pay top dollar for pricey free agents, therefore making it impossible to better our team. And, seeing as how they can’t draft properly, it might be a long while before the Chicago Bears return to winning ways.

47. Not only is Kyle Orton having success, but Cedric Benson has become legit once again. I was never keen on letting him go. If they could have let Tank Johnson slip and then come back, why not Benson? It is unsettling to see him have success.

48. Jay Cutler has thrown five interceptions in the red zone this season. That is an insanely high number, considering no quarterbacks even threw that many all of last season. Those are easy points taken off the board. Nothing more frustrating than watching your favorite team march their way down the field only to watch the quarterback make a dumb decision and give the other team the ball back when your team is just about to put up some points.

49. So far, the best highlight of the Bears season was watching Jarron Gilbert jump out of a pool and land on his feet. I guess he doesn’t have the athletic ability to even see playing time.

50. If any fan can come up with 50 reasons why not to watch your team play, you know you are doing something wrong. Stop sitting around and collecting money and do something about making the Bears a winning football team.

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I Don’t Think the Chicago Bears Offense Was Truly That Bad

With the Bears coming off a victory on Sunday against the lowly Cleveland Browns, all I have been hearing and reading about is how poor the offense was.

Was I watching the same game?

I’m not about to say that the offense was stellar and that they tore the Browns apart.  But, at the same time, they did put up 23 points (offensively), ran for 170 yards, and put up 225 yards through the air.

Matt Forte got into the end zone twice, and at least looked semi-decent during stretches.  He still could not break free as much as you would like, but at least all of his runs went for positive yards.  His 3.5 yards per carry isn’t what you would want it to be, but it’s actually a step in the right direction for him.  In his two other games with over 20 carries, he ran for 55 and 66 yards.  At least he broke the 90 mark in this game.

And, with Devin Hester seemingly getting better and better each week, it’s only a matter of time before Jay Cutler starts putting up 300-yard performances.  The Bears’ passing game actually made some big yardage plays in the game, with four pass plays for over 20 yards, and at least one other deep ball attempt.

Yes, all of this does not sound all that sexy when put in terms of the team they were playing, and how they should have destroyed them, but the fact of the matter is that the Bears offense is still a work in progress, and they should not have to be put down so quickly, especially after a victory.

I will admit that the offense looked terrible in the first quarter, and on some other ineffective drives during the game, but it’s not like the best of the best score on every single possession they have. 

Peyton Manning didn’t throw a touchdown in the game on Sunday; do you hear pundits out and about saying that the Colts offense is sputtering, seeing how the 49ers are one of the worst defenses against the pass in the NFL?  Peyton should have torched them for 450 yards and 4 TDs, right?

I think the city of Chicago and Bears fans alike need to take a deep breath, celebrate the victory, and understand that every step they are taking is a positive one right now.

I am not going to sit here and say that the Bears offense is one of the best in the NFL, because it’s not.  They are far from it. 

But, if you look at the roster they have, and the number of games that these guys have played together, everyone should realize that they are playing at or above the level they should be playing at.

If Forte can get himself back on solid ground, pull his average yards per carry up above four, and Hester can continue his climb into No. 1 wide receiver status, the Bears playbook should, and will, open up more to big plays.

A lot of this does fall on the shoulders of Matt Forte, because if he continues to struggle with breaking runs into the open field, defenses are never going to respect the run game of the Bears, and are going to continue leaving five and six defensive backs in the secondary, making it harder and harder for Cutler and the Bears wide receivers and tight ends to break plays downfield.

But, let’s all take a step back and just accept the fact that the Bears won on Sunday.  Everything I see and hear makes it look and sound like we lost.

 

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My Anger With The Bears’ 2005 Draft May Be Unfounded Now

I remember the 2005 NFL Draft like it was yesterday. 

 

I remember it because it ticked me off to no end.

 

That was the Cedric Benson draft.  Not that taking him with the fourth pick was what made me so angry.  Well, yes, it kind of was.  The Bears had gone out the year before and got Thomas Jones to be the main guy.  And he responded with a near 1,000-yard performance, even with missing three games (technically he only missed two, but he was injured on his first carry of the third game, which was actually the first that he “missed”).

 

At that point in time, the Bears’ defense was the unmovable force that was the Monsters of the Midway.  They didn’t need much help there, even though the likes of DeMarcus Ware, Shawne Merriman, Pacman Jones, Antrel Rolle, and Carlos Rogers were all available.  I would have been happy with any of those picks.

 

But, mostly, I wanted the Bears to take a wide receiver.  They had taken Bernard Berrian the year before in the third round, but he did not show much his rookie season.  The best wide receiver on the team was Muhsin Muhammad, who was a possession receiver at best.  

 

The other starter was Justin Gage.  So, with a good running attack, a terrible quarterback, terrible wide receivers, and a great defense, you would assume they would go after a QB or WR, right?

 

Wrong.

 

They took Cedric Benson.  I am not sure if they did that because Braylon Edwards was taken right before him, but they took him, even with the likes of Mike Williams (USC and also who I wanted them to take), Mark Clayton (Oklahoma), Roddy White (who was my second choice for them to take), and Reggie Brown (Georgia) available.

 

Now, most of those choices didn’t pan out where they were taken, and probably wouldn’t have with the Bears, but at the time, wide receiver is what they needed, so they should have went with one of them.  Instead, the Bears chose Mark Bradley (Oklahoma’s No. 2 WR) in the second round.

 

We all know how that turned out.

 

But the Cedric Benson pick is what got me.  The Bears didn’t need him, and yes he was talented in college, but they could have easily waited until the later rounds to pick up a running back (Frank Gore was taken in the third, Marion Barber and Brandon Jacobs in the fourth).

 

I’m digressing too much.  My point is that with that pick, it set up the Kyle Orton selection in the fourth round. 

 

The 2005 NFL draft was not QB-heavy.  Alex Smith went first.  Aaron Rodgers was the “next guy” on everyone’s boards, along with Jason Campbell, and then it was the likes of Charlie Frye, Andrew Walter, and Kyle Orton.

 

At the time, Orton seemed like a great value pick in the fourth round, and he was semi-spectacular at Purdue but never seemed to be the type of quarterback that was going to become an MVP-caliber player.

 

Fast forward four years to now, and that pick may have become an incredible value pick, because the Bears traded him for Jay Cutler.  Along with Cutler, the Bears received a fifth-round draft pick, which turned into Johnny Knox, as well.

 

I’m not saying they are going to become the next Joe Montana-Jerry Rice combination, but Knox has fashioned himself a good return man, as well as a decent playmaker.  And it’s only his rookie season, so who knows what his ceiling could be.

 

With someone like Cutler throwing the ball to him, he could outdo his own potential.

 

The 2010 draft will be short on talent at the wide receiver position (or so the scouts say), but the free agent pool will not be.

 

Vincent Jackson, Brandon Marshall, Steve Breaston, Lee Evans, Braylon Edwards, Antonio Bryant, and several other good wide receivers will be available at the end of this season for the Chicago Bears to entertain ideas of signing.

 

If the Bears could sign a Vincent Jackson or Brandon Marshall, I believe the team would be complete.  They could use some upgrades on defense, but I believe the young players they have on the defensive end of the ball are going to step up in the coming years and be great players. 

 

They may not get back to the Monsters of the Midway status, but if the offense becomes unstoppable with Jay Cutler throwing to Jackson/Marshall, Hester, Knox, and Olsen, with Forte running the ball, the defense could give up a few extra points each game without it hurting too much.

 

It is just a matter of if the Bears are serious about winning and will go out and spend the money it will take to sign one of those players.

 

For now, though, I take back all of my anger with the 2005 draft, because all of the picks fell into place for a reason.  And that reason was for the Bears to make the 2006 Super Bowl, lose, realize they needed help at QB, and then three years later trade for a Pro-Bowl-caliber quarterback who was going to lead the Bears back to the promise land.

 

I am not saying the Bears are a Super Bowl team yet, but it seems they are taking steps in the right direction.  Super Bowl teams aren’t made overnight (unless you are the Patriots and make unbelievably one-sided trades), so the future can still be bright for the Chicago Bears.

 

Besides, they are 3-1 going into the bye week, and only one game behind Minnesota for the division lead.  They haven’t played stellar ball, but they are still growing together as a team.  By the end of the season, with more cohesiveness, they could become a dangerous team.

 

Maybe the Bears management knew what they were doing all along when they screwed up the draft of 2005.

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Bears-Lions: If You Are a Gambling Man, Bet on a Close One

The “spread” for the Chicago Bears-Detroit Lions matchup this Sunday is listed at Bears -10.

For those of you who don’t follow the ways of gambling, that means the Bears are favored to win the game by 10 points.

Seems fair enough against the paltry Lions, right?

Well, if history has a say in the game on Sunday, it would be wise to take the Lions at +10.

In the last seven games, the Bears are 1-6 against the spread when facing the Lions.  And, the only win was the fluke 34-7 victory last season in Detroit.  The only reason I call it a fluke is because the Bears just weren’t the type of offense to put up 34 points, and in fact had a defensive touchdown in the game to boot. 

Not to mention some fluke, long plays that the Bears were not known for.

But, that is in the past, and we need not worry about that.  Or should we?

On the flip side, the Lions are 6-3 against the spread in the last nine games versus the Bears.

And, with the spread being 10 points, the past would have us think it is going to be a close game, with either the Bears winning by less than 10 points, or the Lions winning by any amount of points.

Everyone says that this is a new Bears team, so we are going to wipe the slate clean and see if Jay Cutler and Co. can buck the trend and put the Bears on the winning side in the world of gambling.

In examination of the two teams, one would wonder how exactly the game would be close, but all it takes is one missed assignment on defense and the opposing team will be celebrating in the end zone.

You can never be too sure about yourself in the world of sports, because the players you are going up against are still professionals and can make plays all the same.

With the news that Kevin Smith may play, and Calvin Johnson always being a threat to break a big play, a close game is not all that crazy of a thought.

The Bears have not shown any explosiveness on offense, outside of a play here and there, so this game does not have shoot out written all over it.  If anything, we might be dink and dunked to death like the old days.

And with the Bears’ running game still not up to speed, the Lions may actually be ready for the passing attack, which hasn’t been anything to write home about, either.

So, will history repeat itself on Sunday and have the Chicago Bears losing against the spread? Or will the “new and improved” offense start playing the way they were touted as to play and blow the Lions out?

If I were a gambling man, I would go with history and say the Bears win the game, but not by more than 10.

In fact, I say they “push,” and win the game 27-17.

But, hey, a win is a win, and I would love to see the Bears go into their bye week with a 3-1 record.

Go Bears.

Oh, and I hate to say it, but Go Packers.  It hurts for that to come out of my “mouth,” but I do not want to see the Vikings go to 4-0, with St. Louis to play next week. 

I hope to exit Week Four in a tie for first place in the NFC North.

Again, Go Bears!

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The Funniest Thing About the Bears-Lions Matchup on Sunday

With the Chicago Bears facing the Detroit Lions this Sunday, Bears fans should be looking at a 3-1 start to the season.  I don’t want to overlook the Lions, but come on, BARELY winning against the Washington Redskins does not constitute them a good team. 

I was going to do a traditional matchup piece for the game, but then I thought better…I mean, it’s the Detroit Lions.  And, they’re most likely going to be without one of their main offensive threats in starting running back Kevin Smith.

And, that is where the hilarity ensues.

In his Monday press conference, Detroit Lions head coach Jim Schwartz actually said the following statement when asked about Kevin Smith’s condition:

“We’re not into giving competitive advantage to other people.”

Uh, Jim, yes you are.  You are the DETROIT LIONS, for God’s sake.  By stepping on the field against your team, your opponent has the competitive advantage.

Just tell the truth, Jim, the guy you are facing in fantasy this week has your boy Kevin Smith on his team, and you do not want him to know whether he is starting or not right up until the last minute, in hopes that he isn’t paying attention at 11:00 on Sunday, and ends up starting one of his bench guys.

I understand where coach Schwartz is coming from, but either way it goes, the Bears are still going to prepare for the Detroit Lions running game. 

Ok, I tried my best to get through that last sentence without laughing, but I couldn’t do it.  The Bears are probably going to take the week off, and just practice on Friday and Saturday, in preparation for the only thing the Lions can do, and that’s throw the ball to Calvin Johnson.

Bryant Johnson had a good game against the Redskins, so he will be someone to look out for, as well.  But if the Bears lose the game because they couldn’t stop Bryant Johnson, then they would deserve to lose that game.

With all things said, the Lions are a better team than they were a year ago, so in all honesty, I’m only joking about how the Bears should take them lightly, but without a main piece like Kevin Smith, it should be an easy victory.

And, a 3-1 start to the season going into the bye week, and before two tough road games against Atlanta and a resurgent Cincinnati Bengals team, would be exactly what the Bears needed.

It is looking like the Bears, Packers, and Vikings are going to be in a dogfight all season long for the division title, so every victory, whether it be easy, ugly, or undeserved is welcome.

Go Bears!

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The 5 Most Important Players In Sunday’s Bears-Seahawks Matchup

With the Bears pulling off an extremely momentous victory over the Champion Pittsburgh Steelers last week, they will be looking to take their record to 2-1 this Sunday, against the Seattle Seahawks.

With an “easier” portion of their schedule on tap, the Bears need to keep the momentum moving in the positive direction by beating the teams that they should beat, and maybe pulling off an “upset” victory here and there.

With that in mind, I thought I’d detail the five most important players in Sunday’s game that will help determine whether or not the Bears can keep their winning ways alive.

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The Matt Forte Saga: Why Is He Struggling So Much?

I am sure I will take some flak for saying this, but Matt Forte is not as good of a running back as everyone thinks.

He can be explosive. He can catch the ball. He can make plays after the catch. But, he is just not a complete running back.

I don’t believe his vision is all that great. And, in the history of the NFL, vision is what makes you a great running back. A running back has to be able to see the cutback before he commits to the run and he has to have the ability to make that cutback. 

As of right now, Matt Forte is not seeing those cutbacks. It seems that if a gaping hole is not provided for him in the designed area of the running play, he is just going to be cut down in the backfield or bowl into the backs of his offensive lineman and take a gain of a yard or two.

I saw several plays in the first two weeks where he took the handoff and ran straight ahead into the pile of lineman when there was a hole opened up to the left or right of him. 

In the NFL, those holes close up quickly. I would have liked to have seen him at least try to make the cut and try and get through that hole rather than just give up on the play and head into the trenches where he had to have known he wasn’t going to come out the other end.

He has looked jittery these first two weeks. I am not sure if we can contribute that to the fact that he has gone up against two 3-4 defenses (one being the best in the business in Pittsburgh), or if it’s a sophomore slump (which I don’t believe in), or if it is just him being exposed for what he really is.

Last season, he benefited from a good amount of big plays. He took several runs for big gains, which padded his stats a lot more than most Chicago fans want to admit. 

He was never the running back who would take several carries for five to 10-yard gains.  He was either breaking it long or getting tackled at the line of scrimmage and, unfortunately, it was more of the latter than the former.

Another reason for his standing out was the plays he made with his hands. He is a great pass catcher out of the backfield and I believe that his making some plays in that facet of the game helped shade his struggles when running the ball.

If you look into his game stats, you can see his struggles. If you take out his longest run from each game he played in, he averaged 3.1 yards per carry on the rest of his 300 carries last season. That is not a good number. 

I understand that stats are deceiving and that most of the running backs who lead the league in rushing benefit from breaking big plays. However, they also are practitioners of the five to 10-yard gainers. They aren’t broke or bust only type backs.

If you look more into his rookie season, he had three 100-yard games and only three other games over 80 yards. Does that sound like an elite back to you?

All of this came with being fourth in the NFL in rushing attempts. So, he had ample opportunities to gain those yards, but he just always seemed to fall short.

This is not an article claiming that Matt Forte is done. I don’t believe that at all. But, I just feel that he needs to be knocked down a peg or two so that the expectations for him aren’t so lofty. 

As of right now, Bears fans are expecting him to be Adrian Peterson (and not the Bears’ Adrian Peterson) and Him he is not.

If the Bears are going to succeed this season and in the future, Matt Forte is going to have to develop better vision. I am not sure if it is his understanding of how to read defenses before the snap or if it is his focusing in on a point after he takes the handoff and not being able to release his eyes from that spot thereafter. 

Whatever it is, he needs to work on that ability. Otherwise, he is going to have to wait for big holes to break open and in the NFL, that only happens once in a great while. And, you do not have a great while to become a great back. It is quite easy to lose your job in the NFL.

I think next week (against Seattle) will be a good test of where he stands. Green Bay has an underrated defense and in that game, they looked fierce. Also, we all know how great of a defense Pittsburgh has, so being fed to the lions the first two weeks of the season may have been the best thing for the rest of Matt Forte’s season.

He doesn’t face a 3-4 defense again until Week Eight when the Bears face off against Cleveland. Hopefully, he just struggles with the 3-4 and I am completely off in my assessment of him. 

Seattle has definitely shown its struggles against the run so far this season. Both Steven Jackson and Frank Gore have gone over 100 yards against them, with Gore breaking out for over 200 yards. 

This could be the exact matchup Matt Forte needs. But, he is going to have to show us something if he wants to be named on the same level as the Frank Gores and Steven Jacksons of the NFL.

The Bears have a fairly easy schedule in the coming weeks, but toward the end of the season they will start to see stronger based defenses (Philadelphia, Minnesota twice, Green Bay, and Baltimore), so if Matt Forte is going to get on track, he should think about doing so starting next week. 

Because if he is not playing at a high level come Week 11, the weeks after that aren’t going to make it any easier on him—save the Week 17 game at Detroit.

With the improved passing attack the Bears have, Matt Forte should be running wild on defenses. I do not think we can blame his lack of production on the lack of talent the Bears have at wide receiver, but that could be some of the reasoning. 

If the Bears’ wide receivers continued to improve and safeties had to pay more attention to where they were on the field, defenses would have to stop focusing in on only where Matt Forte is each down.

Football is a team sport, and even though only one man has the ball in his hands at a given time, the rest of the team still plays a part in how well he does with the ball in his hands. 

But, the rest of the team and coaches can only help so much. It is up to the ball carrier to be able to see what his team is doing to help him and take advantage of the openings they are providing. 

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