Countdown to Kickoff… Matt Forte Days Until Chicago Bears Season Opener
Aug 15, 2013; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bears running back Matt Forte (22) runs the ball as San Diego Chargers defensive back William Middleton (29) pursues him during the first quarter at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-USA TODAY Sports
We decided to do a countdown to the Chicago Bears season opener on September 8th versus the Cincinnati Bengals. Thanks to one of our Twitter followers, we decided to combine the countdown with a roster preview of sorts.
We’re Matt Forte days from the start of the real action! It seems like forever ago that the #PayForte movement was sweeping the interwebs. Let’s get to know the Bears’ top running back.
Matt Forte has turned out to be one of Jerry Angelo’s finest draft picks, selected in the second round of the 2008 NFL draft out of Tulane. He was originally selected to compete with Ced Benson, but when Benson got mixed up with some legal troubles off the field, he was cut and Forte was thrust into the spotlight. He made an immediate impact, making his debut in prime time on Sunday Night Football against the Indianapolis Colts with 123 yards and a 50 yard TD run.
Forte has racked up over 5300 yards rushing with another 2300+ receiving yards and 35 touchdowns overall. Over his 5 year career in Chicago, Forte has proven to be reliable and durable for the most part. He’s started 75 games in that span, missing four games in 2011 and one in 2012.
Just as you saw against the Chargers, Forte doesn’t seem to have that extra gear to break the home runs and the knock on him has been that he doesn’t score enough down near the goal line.
Playing behind a revamped offensive line in Marc Trestman’s system should prove to be very good for Forte, as the new offensive scheme is very running back friendly. Look for a healthy mix of rushing and receiving yards for Forte. It’s not out of the question for him to aim for 1000 rushing and 1000 receiving. He should be the engine that drives the offense.
Probably the most notable #22 in recent Bears history was Dave Duerson. The ’85 Bears safety tragically took his own life by shooting himself in the chest so his brain could be studied for CTE, a brain disease that’s associated with repeated head trauma, like many NFL players experience. RIP Double D.
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