Matt Forte: Injury Won’t Stop Chicago Bears RB from Big Monday Night Performance
Published by Mike Hoag Jr. on September 28, 2012
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears were fine without Matt Forte in their Week 3 win over the St. Louis Rams. They’ll need him, though, in Week 4 against a much tougher Dallas Cowboys defense on Monday Night Football.
Dallas’ rush defense has been adequate so far, allowing 113 yards per game. Its pass rush and secondary, though, have been its strengths. They’re currently allowing only 137 yards per game through the air. That’s ranked second in the NFL at defending the pass.
When it comes to the Cowboys vs. the Bears, there is one thing that is certain on Monday night: Jay Cutler is going to need all the help he can get to survive and somehow pull out a win in Dallas.
The Rob Ryan-led Cowboys defense has the ability to confuse and straight up overpower an offensive line. Cutler’s offensive line has given up copious amounts of pressure so far in 2012 and has surrendered 11 sacks through three games.
He’s going to need some help combating that Cowboys’ pass rush by throwing to his safety valve, Matt Forte. If he can find him in the flats on screen and delayed routes, the Bears will be able to keep the pass rush somewhat at bay because of the threat Forte poses.
Luckily for Cutler, Forte’s vision and elusiveness in the open field is second-to-none in the NFL. His ability to make defenders miss and turn small plays into big gainers will be crucial for the Bears offense.
Then there’s the dual-threat running game with the combination of Forte and Michael Bush.
With Bush plowing through the line-of-scrimmage and Forte changing it up with speed and elusive runs, the Cowboys defense will be hard-pressed to find a solution.
Rob Ryan’s scheme has always had trouble accounting for running backs out of the backfield due to their aggressive nature.
That’s where Forte, and Bush, will shine on Monday night in prime time.
Injury or not, Forte is a playmaker and will play big when the stage is biggest.
Mike Hoag is a Breaking News Team writer with Bleacher Report and also covers the Cleveland Browns and the NFL for the site.
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