Without Matt Forte standing in the backfield, the Chicago Bears got a win against the San Diego Chargers and their run game did not suffer as a result of the injury to the veteran. The offense remained balanced for Jay Cutler as rookie Jeremy Langford had a breakout game on national television. Langford stepped up in a big way with Forte out and could be the future of the Bears' ground game.
Langford's first start in the NFL concluded with 142 yards of total offense and one touchdown along with a two-point conversion. The running back proved he was every bit capable of stepping in for the injured Forte and the Bears benefitted as a result. After dropping a key pass in Week 8 in place of Forte, Langford was the steady presence against the Chargers and played a big part in the win.
"That was my whole point, to make up for that play last game," Langford said, via ESPN.com. "You want to forget about those plays, but when the coaches trust you and Jay Cutler trusts you, you have to go out there and make that play. Football is about confidence, to feel like you can go out there and make that big play the team needs me to make."
According to Jeff Dickerson of ESPN, Langford is expected to have an expanding role in the offense even when Forte returns to the field. Head coach John Fox originally reported that Forte was day-to-day with a knee injury. The injury was not expected to be season-ending as there was a belief that he could have been on the field against San Diego. Right now the Bears are not making a call on whether or not Forte will be healthy for Week 10 as Langford will play a big role regardless.
"He's dual-purpose," Fox said, via ESPN.com. "He can catch. The catch he made on the go route ... wide receivers have a tough time on that catch. He's explosive. He can take short runs and make them into long runs. I thought he had a great night."
The rise of Langford could play a big role in the future of the Bears. If the rookie can prove to be a consistent threat, he could factor into the long-term outlook of the franchise. Forte is playing on an expiring contract. The veteran running back has stated he wants to be with the Bears for his entire career, but if Langford is playing well, the team might not put up much of a fight to keep Forte. They made no efforts to sign him before the season which could mean they are on the fence given his age. Now, one game is not enough to judge the future of Langford and looking at the consistent resume of Forte, the two in no way compare. But, the Bears will be making roster adjustments this offseason and Forte is a question mark as of now.
Chicago prepares to play St. Louis on Sunday. They would love to have Forte and Langford running in tandem. They might be without Eddie Royal for another week as he deals with a knee injury. In his place, Martellus Bennett and Zach Miller both stepped up and could again.
