Bears Blitz

Published by Bob Warja on August 30, 2009
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Chicago Bears

There has been much talk in Chicago Bears camp about how the acquisition of strong-armed Jay Cutler will make the receivers better. And how players such as tight end Greg Olsen and wide receiver Earl Bennett will benefit most from Cutler’s arrival.

While all that may be true, I say that the guy who will benefit the most from the Bears having a real, honest-to-goodness QB may be running back Matt Forte.

Sure, the fact that Cutler played college ball with Bennett, who couldn’t even get on the field as a rookie last season, is sure to help Earl become more of a factor for the Bears this coming season.

And yes, Cutler has seemed to develop a friendship and connection with Olson that may result in Cutler looking his way more often than Kyle Orton did last year.

But you cannot ignore the impact of a solid QB to a running game in the NFL. While it’s a bit of a “chicken or the egg” kind of argument, let’s face it, you can’t stack the box against a QB that can beat you with his arm.

Look at Brett Favre with the Jets last season. His arrival resulted in former Bear Thomas Jones having his best season in the NFL. His 1,312 yards was just slightly lower than the 1,335 yards he gained with the Bears in 2005, and his 13 touchdowns easily eclipsed his career high (and were 12 more than he had his previous year!). Plus, Jones had a higher rushing average and more total yards that he did in 2005.

Look, with Orton as the Bears QB, teams could cheat the safety up and put more men on the line, basically daring the Bears former QB to throw the ball. But with Cutler, team defenses will have to respect his arm.

And this should help the running game. If future Hall of Famer Orlando Pace has anything left in the tank, and 2008’s high draft pick Chris Williams is healthy and productive, the line improvements and the addition of Cutler should combine for a big year for the second-year rusher from Tulane.

And hey, it’s not like Forte didn’t have a fine season as a rookie in 2008. He led the Bears in receptions with 63, and he had 1,238 yards and eight touchdowns.

Forte seemed to tire at times last year, so the addition of Cutler should decrease his workload, another positive. His 316 rushing attempts ranked fourth in the NFL last season.

Jay Cutler has had such a positive impression in Chicago that it’s hard to pinpoint where his impact his most likely to be felt. He has excited the fans, and increased the expectations for the Bears, which is a good thing.

Meanwhile, Matt Forte is licking his chops, come to think of it.

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