Matt Forte's day is coming. The Chicago Bears running back is coming off one of his best games of the season. As the team enters a bye in Week 8, Forte is preparing to see his yardage increase after quarterback Jay Cutler went down with an injury. As backup Josh McCown prepares to step in as the new starter, Forte will be the presence that stabilizes the offense.
Forte put up 91 yards and three touchdowns in Week 7 against the Washington Redskins. That was his best performance of the season, after his carries fluctuated in the early games. Cutler is done for some time after tearing a muscle in his hip and Forte understands that things will rest on his shoulders for the next few weeks.
Forte might be one of the best dual-threat running backs in the league. So far this season, he is averaging 16.6 rushes per game along with 35 catches on the year. The more touches he gets, the better he runs as Forte is a rhythm runner. A majority of his touches against the Redskins came in the second half after Cutler went down. Now, they will only continue to grow.
If the Bears are going to avoid hitting the panic button, the team must keep Forte heavily involved. Take Minnesota for example. Josh Freeman tossed 53 passes, barely completing any of them. Taking the run game out of the offensive plan hurt the team. In the second half against Washington, the Bears survived due to a great mix of play calling, putting up 313 total yards and 24 points. Forte is confident that McCown can carry the offense for the next few weeks.
"Everybody else on the outside might be surprised. But I truly expected that out of Josh," Forte said, via the Chicago Tribune. "He's a guy who is very resilient. Nothing is overwhelming to him. And he's been playing a while. It's not like the moment came and he was like, 'Oh no, I'm playing now.' The moment wasn't too big. He did a great job calling the plays and controlling the huddle."
Forte is an every-quarterback type of running back. He can run, catch, block and pick up a blitz. As the team works out how to use Matt Forte as efficiently as possible, Michael Bush could see some increased playing time. The backup has just 24 rushes on the season, but placing him in the backfield, freeing up Forte could be the key for the Bears to remain in the hunt.
