Chicago Bears Need to Lean on Matt Forte, Running Game in Jay Cutler’s Absence
Published by Matt Eurich on September 24, 2015
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears fell to 0-2 on the season after dropping back-to-back games to the Green Bay Packers and Arizona Cardinals, and they will have to rely on their running game this Sunday when they hit the road to take on the Seattle Seahawks in Week 3.
Chicago’s offense showed promise in Week 1’s loss to the Packers and again in the first half of last Sunday’s game against the Cardinals, but after quarterback Jay Cutler left last week’s game due to a hamstring injury, the offense struggled.
The Bears have not made an official statement regarding how long Cutler will be out because of his injury, but ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported earlier this week that the veteran quarterback could be out for a couple of weeks:
Even though Schefter reported Cutler would be out for at least two weeks, Bears head coach John Fox would not comment about Cutler’s status for Sunday.
“We’re just taking it day to day,” Fox said on Wednesday, per Dan Wiederer of the Chicago Tribune. “We’ll see what tomorrow brings. And we don’t rule anybody out for games until Friday.”
In the five-plus quarters Cutler played in the first two games of the year, he looked comfortable in offensive coordinator Adam Gase’s system.
If Cutler is unable to play this Sunday, veteran Jimmy Clausen is expected to get the start. Clausen completed 14 of his 21 passing attempts for 121 yards with zero touchdowns, one interception and finished with a 56.6 quarterback rating against the Cardinals.
The former Notre Dame standout looked overmatched at times last Sunday versus Arizona, and he will have a difficult time throwing the football down the field against Seattle’s tough secondary.
All-Pro cornerback Richard Sherman will cover one side of the field, All-Pro free safety Earl Thomas will cover the back half of the field and strong safety Kam Chancellor could see his first action of the season after missing the first two games of the year because of a contract holdout, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport:
If Clausen does get the start this Sunday in Seattle, the Bears are going to need to lean on veteran Matt Forte and the running game on offense.
Through the first two weeks of the season, Forte is proving he is one of the league’s best all-around running backs.
According to Pro Football Focus, Forte played 69 of the team’s 77 snaps on offense in Week 1 against Green Bay, but he played 48 of the team’s 72 snaps against Arizona in Week 2.
Backup Jacquizz Rodgers carried the ball four times for 16 yards against the Packers, but he only carried the ball twice for eight yards against Arizona.
According to Pro Football Focus, rookie Jeremy Langford played just three snaps in Week 1, but he played 13 snaps against the Cardinals last week. He ran the football just once for one yard against Green Bay, but he carried the football six times for 21 yards against Arizona and scored his first career touchdown in the second quarter.
Langford spelled Forte for an entire possession in the second quarter, and Bears running backs coach Stan Drayton was impressed by the former Michigan State Spartan.
“The kid works his butt off every single day,” Drayton said Monday night on The Bears Coaches Show on WBBM Newsradio 780 and 105.9 FM, via Larry Mayer of ChicagoBears.com. “It was great to see him go in there and not flinch and just keep the ball moving for us. Obviously he was excited to get his first touchdown at Soldier Field, and I’m excited for him.”
Langford looked confident with the football in his hands, and he could have a big role in Chicago’s offense this Sunday when the team heads to Seattle.
Forte and Rodgers are both considered to be north-south runners, while Langford has the speed and agility to move laterally out of the backfield. The majority of Langford’s runs this season have come between the tackles, but the Bears may be able to take advantage of his speed by running toss plays and stretch plays to the outside when he is in the game.
CenturyLink Field in Seattle is one of the toughest stadiums in the league to play in, and if the Bears want to quiet the crowd early, they will need to keep the clock moving by running the football. Even though the Seahawks are known for having one of the best defenses in the league, they have struggled at times against the run this season.
In Seattle’s season-opening game against the St. Louis Rams, the defense allowed 76 rushing yards on 26 carries—including 45 yards to backup Benjamin Cunningham. In its Week 2 matchup with Green Bay, Seattle allowed 127 rushing yards on 29 carries—including 95 yards rushing on 20 carries by backup James Starks.
The Seahawks gave up just 81.5 rushing yards per game last season—third fewest in the league—but they are giving up an average of 101.5 rushing yards per game this season. It may be a small sample size, but Seattle’s defense has not looked the same against the run so far in 2015.
The Bears are going to want to rely heavily on the running game this Sunday with Cutler out, so Seattle will likely try to stack the box early. If Clausen can complete some passes earlier, he could force the Seahawks to spread out defensively. If Chicago can get a good push up front from its offensive line, the Bears may be able to control the clock by running the football effectively.
Winning in Seattle will be difficult for the Bears without Cutler, but if they can find early success with Forte in the running game—and keep a steady rotation at the position with Rodgers and Langford coming off the bench—Chicago may be able to come out of Seattle with its first win of the season.
Statistical information courtesy of NFL.com unless otherwise noted.
Matt Eurich is a Chicago Bears featured columnist for Bleacher Report and a member of the Pro Football Writers of America.
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