Matt Forte frustrated by Chicago Bears running game
By Cory Buck
The Chicago Bears may have a winning record, but running back Matt Forte isn’t all smiles. The Pro-Bowl running back enjoyed one of the best seasons of his career in 2013, but has yet to see similar traction in his last two games of the 2014 season. Averaging just a hair over two yards per run in the last two weeks, Forte recently admitted to feeling frustration over the lack of production from the Bears’ running game.
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“It is frustrating during the game,” Forte said per ESPN.com. “It’s not that we’re not calling runs. We are calling run plays. But sometimes, the defenses are set up so that the run play we call is not going to work against that defense.”
In defense of Forte and the entire Chicago offensive line, the last two weeks haven’t been a cake walk for any running unit. The Bears played on the road at the San Francisco 49ers then the New York Jets in the last two weeks. That’s two of the best running defenses in the league that the Bears faced, which makes it hard to pass judgement on anyone involved with those paltry numbers.
“Each week we’re continuing to work on it,” Forte continued, “and we’ve got to get everybody on the same page up front. Some guys that are stepping in for injured players, we have to get everybody on the right page where we’re blocking the right looks so if they change the personnel or change to a different defensive front, we know how to block that as well.”
The Bears host the Green Bay Packers in Week 4, which should open more holes for Forte, who ran well in his previous home game against the Buffalo Bills. Even if it doesn’t, Bears fans and players alike shouldn’t worry too much. Teams will key in on the run to put the game in Jay Cutler’s hands, but the Bears passing offense is more than capable of opening things up for the running game should the opportunity arise. It’s hard to imagine Forte being bottled up all season, so expect a big game from him soon.
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