“Matt Forte is having a phenomenal year,” Eagles coach Andy Reid said yesterday. “That’s a heck of a football player, man. And Devin Hester is the best ever in a couple of different categories, so we definitely have to respect him, too.”
Forte is dangerous as both a runner and receiver. He ranks sixth in the NFL in rushing with 672 yards on 124 carries (5.4 yards per carry). He also leads all NFL running backs with 419 receiving yards on 38 catches.
The 6-foot-2, 218-pounder tops the league with 1,091 total yards from scrimmage, which accounts for about 46 percent of the Bears’ total yards this season.
Like Eagles wide receiver DeSean Jackson, Forte has extra incentive to play well this season. Both are seeking new contracts to replace the deals they signed as second-round draft picks in 2008. Both standouts are making $600,000 this season, which is the league minimum for fourth-year players.
Forte created a stir in Chicago this week with this gem of a quote:
“The running back position is the most physically demanding on the field,” Forte told the Chicago Sun-Times Tuesday. “Everyone acknowledges that. So to continue to give me the touches I’ve had since my rookie year but not award me a long-term contract sends the message that you’re OK grinding me into a pulp.”
You know, there’s some truth to that comment, the more I think about it.
This upcoming game on Monday night between the Bears and the Eagles would be a great time for Forte’s disgruntlement to manifest…maybe he’s setting up to take an early powder if the Eagles defense can frustrate him early? That’s my conspiracy theory for the day… it probably won’t happen that way.
In actuality, this is an important “statement game” for the Bears. So I don’t assume any quit in any of their guys, especially with a national prime-time audience.
Brett Solesky of Midway Illustrated has a nice preview on the upcoming game and the “signature moment” at hand for Da Bears. Here are some of Brett’s observations:
“The Bears, Falcons and Buccaneers all have identical 4-3 records and the suddenly upstart Eagles are 3-4… The Bears own the tie-breaker over both the Falcons and Bucs and are one game ahead of the Eagles in the race for the playoffs. Needless to say this game is an absolute must win for the Bears, there essentially is no tomorrow because the Bears don’t want to pull even with the Eagles at 4-4 and end up going down in a tie-breaker to them.”
Going on the road to the Eagles will be no easy task, especially on Monday Night Football given the Bears have historically struggled to play well on that rowdy night. The Bears have faced the Eagles four straight years and only one of those games has been away from Soldier Field. The Bears’ record in those four games is 3-1 with a win on the road at Philly in 2007 by the score of 19-16.
“So this is essentially a must win game for the Bears and for the Eagles. You want to be considered a post season worthy team this is a game you have to win. So can the Bears win this game? Uh, er, rah….well, the Eagles lead the league in total offense so the key for the Bears in this game will be easy, run the football well to keep that offense off the field….”
This game is going to be the biggest test the Bears have faced all season. Can they regain their focus after the bye week and prove that they are a team that’s capable of making the playoffs on an annual basis? Solesky sees his chances going like this:
“Jay Cutler needs to show up and have another big game like he did last season, when he threw four touchdown passes against the Eagles…The pass rush also needs to show up like it did last year against the Eagles— four sacks and numerous QB hits and pressures on Michael Vick.”
“The running game needs to show up again like it did last year 14 carries for 117 yards from Matt Forte.”
Of quiet note it would help the Bears’ cause if they lined up and played well on the Eagles’ Lincoln Field surface. As silly as it might sound, Brian Urlacher’s consistent year-in and year-out complaints about the playing surface of Soldier Field would be better taken to heart if the defense had a big game on the field turf of the Linc…Keep in mind that part of the key to the Bears victory last year was the sloppy surface slowing down the Eagles at Soldier. The Bears were able to take advantage, and now they won’t have that same field edge, but if Urlacher is to be taken at his word (that the Bears can play faster on field turf), then this is the game to prove it against a fast team.
“At this point I don’t know if the Bears are a playoff-worthy team. They don’t yet have a signature win on the season, and, coincidentally enough, they didn’t get a signature win last season until they beat the Eagles as well. Is this the point in which the Bears prove they ARE playoff-worthy? Monday night will tell us for certain…”
We’ll be ready to compare notes with you on Tuesday morning, Brett Solesky… should be a very entertaining game for football fans nationwide, and especially for fans with ties to Chicago or Philly. It would no doubt be a huge win for the Eagles, too, if these guys can get it.
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