Chicago Bears Week 7: What To Look For

Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

Matt Forte must continue to get the ball. 

With all the talk about the Bears’ receiving corps, the key to the Bears offense is the underrated Matt Forte. When Forte is getting the ball, the offense is running smooth. When he isn’t, it starts to bog down.

Forte doesn’t kill the opposition with just his running ability. He is a great option catching passes out of the backfield. Against the Falcons, he had 157 total yards from scrimmage (80 on the ground 77 through the air). With defenders’ attentions turned to the big receivers, Forte is usually left open, and he is as dependable catching the ball as any wide receiver in the league.

Forte can also help the offensive line. If he is hitting the holes and getting good chunks of yards, the Dolphins will need to bring more personnel to the line, thus opening the field for the receivers and the tight end. Handing the ball over to Forte and throwing screens will help Cutler from getting hit too much as well.

When Forte was going through the contract negotiation a few years back, the mantra with fans was “Pay the man.” Now, the mantra should be “Give the man the ball.” The Bears have sometimes outsmarted themselves, getting away from Forte at times. Take the Buffalo Bills game in Week 1. Forte was running wild over the Bills defense, yet on a third-and-one in the red zone, the Bears decided to go with a pass, which got intercepted, and the Bears eventually lost in overtime.

Keep giving Forte the ball until the defense shows it can stop him.