I'm not the sharpest knife in the pantry drawer, so I listen to our phans… and I was deeply impressed by the endorsements given to Chicago Bears' running back Matt Forte from our very own resident football geniuses, JB-Sage-Lion and Bri-Lion…
According to our own guys, Forte is probably the best all-around running back in the NFC— not just for his finesse and power as a running back, but also for his pass-catching ability in traffic and his pass-pro prowess..
Matt Forte is still very relevant to the success of the Chicago Bears— we must not lose sight of that fact.
Forte is in his 6th year out of Tulane—he's 6-2, 220, runs a 4.55 '40, and was drafted in the 2nd round in 2008 by the Bears. He has put aside his dissatisfaction about being franchise-tagged in 2012. He came to camp this year in the best shape of his life.
He's the real deal.
Which begs the question I got a lot of today— why does it even matter if the Eagles lose to Chicago on Sunday night? After all, they would be 8-7 in that scenario, and the best the Cowboys would be is 8-7 if Dallas beats Washington on Sunday afternoon.
So the ultimate goal would still be—you have to beat Dallas in Dallas the following Sunday, because if the Eagles finished at 8-8, it would automatically award the division title to Dallas based on a 9-7 record for the Cowpokes (assuming Dallas beats the Redskins)…
Even if the Eagles beat the Bears and go into Dallas at 9-6, and the Cowboys beat the Redskins and come into the final game at 8-7, all Dallas has to do is come up with a victory to equal the Eagles' final record of 9-7…and the Division title would be theirs based upon tie-breaker formula.
But there's the magic word— "TIE"…
And that's why I think it's so important for the Eagles to beat Chicago on Sunday night— not so much because they need to feel good about themselves going into Dallas in Week 17, but because a win over Chicago would mean the Eagles could actually tie the Dallas cowboys in Dallas the following week— and still win the Division…even if Dallas beats Washington this coming weekend.
That may seem like a long-shot insurance policy, but consider that about 1% of all NFL games end in a tie… so that would at least be a 1% edge for the Eagles going into Dallas on December 29th. I don't know about you, but I'll take any percentage advantage I can get at this stage of the game.
LeSean McCoy of the Eagles has already gone public with stating his intention to "carry the Eagles' offense" on his own back and the backs of his offensive linemen this coming Sunday.
What’s the difference between LeSean “Shady” McCoy and Matt Forte? Not much.
The Eagles’ McCoy leads the NFL with 1,343 rushing yards and 1,850 yards from scrimmage. The Bears’ Forte is third in both categories with 1,200 rushing yards and 1,722 yards from scrimmage.
Both are special running backs.
Bears coach Marc Trestman is focused on the challenge McCoy presents. “He’s certainly special. He’s such an explosive player, he can do it all,” Trestman said. “We’ve faced good backs every week, and he’s one of the best in the league. He’s a difference-maker. We’re going to have to know where he is, and we’re going to have to do everything we can to neutralize him."
“Last week, it was Josh Gordon. You go in each and every week and say whom do we have to neutralize and make sure that we minimize their ability to make a difference. Then you work from there, and [McCoy is] certainly the starting point.”
Should the Eagles stack the box against Forte, Brandon Marshall, Alshon Jeffery and Martellus Bennett have shown the ability to be difference-makers.
But it’s also fair to say McCoy will be the best player on the field. If the Bears stack the box against McCoy, Nick Foles and the Eagles better be ready to call upon DeSean Jackson and their tight ends to fill the vacuum.
“McCoy's fast, he’s quick, he’s got great vision,” Bears defensive coordinator Mel Tucker said. “He’s got excellent hands out of the backfield on screens and check-downs. He’s very competitive, he can go the distance and he’s a guy who always wants the ball.”
How do you stop him if you're Da Bears?
No Bear is more familiar with McCoy than defensive tackle Jeremiah Ratliff, who faced him twice a year with the Cowboys since the Eagles drafted McCoy in the second round in 2009.
“He has unique ability to read his blockers and find holes quickly and explode out of them,” Ratliff said. “Everybody’s aware of what he does, and yet he still produces. So we really have to stay in our gaps and each man just take care of his responsibilities.”
As scary as McCoy can be to opponents, he also appears to be a member of the Matt Forte fan club.
“Oh, man, Forte’s excellent, and I was a big fan even before this year,” McCoy said. “I played in the Pro Bowl with him. Nice guy. It’s hard to get a guy who can run, catch and block, and that’s why he’s one of the best running backs. He’s in my top-five running backs in the league.”
Bears linebacker James Anderson echoed McCoy’s point and seems to think it helps the Bears.
“They’re both great players,” Anderson said. “They have different types of abilities, but they’re both quick, both can make cuts in open space and they can make the first defender miss. So by having Matt here and getting to practice against him, I think it helps us.”
So will the running backs be the difference in the game? Consider the challenge McCoy has given himself.
“I told the media here [in Philadelphia] I feel like I want to put this game on my back and go out there and showcase what we can do offensively running the ball,” McCoy said. “I just want to go out there and put the offense on my back and get it done.”
If the Bears and Forte are to win, they’re going to need an answer for McCoy.
I'm definitely sensing a shoot-out in Philly on Sunday night… and a lot of the artillery may be confined to the ground.
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