This Thread For the Sole Use of Jerry Angelo and DaBears Members...........

[soulman]

Forte continues to pile up yardage and bargaining power


Urlacher: 'If he's not the best player in the NFL right now, I don't know who is'

• By David Haugh, Chicago Tribune reporter 8:42 p.m. CDT, October 23, 2011
  
  
  LONDON — Around Chicago, you need not know a salary cap from a chapeau to have heard that Bears running back Matt Forte is making a mere $600,000 this season. By now we nearly have grown weary of hearing Forte referred to as the most underpaid player in the NFL.
  
  After Forte rushed for 145 yards on 25 carries in the Bears' 24-18 victory over the Buccaneers on Sunday at Wembley Stadium, Brian Urlacher livened up the discussion.
  
  "If he's not the best player in the NFL right now, I don't know who is," Urlacher said of Forte. "Look at his numbers — running the football, catching the football, everything he's done. I know he doesn't have a lot of touchdowns, but you look at everything he's done for our offense … he's made a lot of plays for us."
  
  Football's best bargain made more big plays against the Bucs in a pivotal win, opening with a bang and closing with a flourish.
  
  On the Bears' second series, Forte found a hole running right behind pulling guard Chris Spencer and did the rest himself with instincts and open-field vision that makes him so dangerous. A crushing downfield block from Dane Sanzenbacher also helped, but Forte's 32-yard TD will be remembered for the way he cut sharply without losing a step.
  
  "It's not like I developed some special moves over the offseason," Forte said. "I'd say it was great blocking and good patience. You've got to know when you get a chance like that to get out in the open field."
  
  One such chance came when the Bears needed it most with 4 minutes, 35 seconds left in the fourth quarter. With the Bucs thinking rally after trimming the lead to 21-18, the Bears faced first-and-15. The Bears caught Tampa in a blitz and Forte alertly turned his head quickly enough to catch a swing pass after crossing the face of the defensive end. It left a vacated secondary. The 36-yard swing pass set up a 25-yard Robbie Gould field goal that made the Bucs' final desperation drive easier to watch for Bears fans from Wembley to Wilmette.
  
  "It's a route up the sideline and they were bringing pressure and it was wide open," Forte said.
  
  So remain the possibilities for Forte, new contract or not. He was so good in Britain that he could have asked for an average of 8 million a year in pounds and teammates would have screamed, "Pay the man!"
  
  "I'm not worried about being motivated for whatever reason," Forte said. "It's not like I come out and play the game because I'm mad or something. I come out and succeed for my teammates and for myself."
  
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  Copyright © 2011, Chicago Tribune
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[soulman]

Ca-chiiiiinnngggggg! That's the sound of the Matt Forte slot machine paying off Jerry. You gambled and you lost you worthless incompetent fool. His agent call you after every game, the price keeps rising and you keep saying we did the best we could. In seven short weeks he's earned himself DWill kind of money and you'll have to pay it. He's making you look just like a fool Jerry.

[soulman]

Inside the Bears

Forte keeps raising the bar for himself -- and Bears

By Mark Potash on October 23, 2011 8:47 PM| No Comments| No TrackBacks


Roy Williams wasn't surprised that Matt Forte just keeps getting better. ''He's the man,'' Williams said after Forte rushed for 145 yards and a touchdown on 25 carries and added 38 yards on two receptions in the Bears' 24-18 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday night at Wembley Stadium in London. ''I've said it from Week 1, he's the most valuable player on this football team.''

Actually, that used to be saying something. Not it's stating the obvious. Forte has been even better than that.
How much better? ''I think he's the best player in the NFL right now,'' teammate Brian Urlacher said. ''You look at everything he's done this year. It's just amazing. He's done everything.'' (Nicely put)


Even if Forte is not the best player in the NFL right now, Urlacher isn't too far off base. Forte leads the Bears with 672 rushing yards (on 124 carries, 5.4 yards per carry) and 419 receiving yards. He leads the NFL with 1,091 total yards. He's the first running back to break the 1,000-yard mark after seven games since 2004.
(He's just now hitting his peak and I'm in Colorado so I know peaks, LOL)

Forte credited his offensive line for his productive night against the Buccaneers, but center and offensive captain Roberto Garza wasn't buying that. ''Matt is doing a great job of making people miss and making us look good,'' Garza said. ''Today we had a rough day. We made a lot of mistakes and he picked it up. It wasn't a pretty game for the offensive line, but we fought through. You've got to win those games sometimes when you're battling out there and he's doing a great job of making plays and making this offense work.'' (God I love it when players are honest when coaches are not. This should stop Lovie or Tice bragging on the line tomorrow)

Forte did benefit from key blocks from guard Chris Spencer, tight end Matt Spaeth, fullback Tyler Clutts and wide receivers Williams and Dane Sanzenbacher on Sunday night. But he's doing more with what he's given to work with than he has in previous years. (Clutts threw that key last block that paved the way for the td. Man he just leveled his guy. Nice find that one)

''Every time he touches the ball, he starts from one side of the field and ends up in the end zone, you just never know what he's going to do,'' Garza said. ''His vision, his explosiveness, his speed, I could go on and on about the things he's doing well. We're just fortunate he's on our team.'' (No shit, here's Another statment of the obvious)
Forte wasn't buying the idea that he's been motivated this season by his contract disagreement with the Bears. Heading intothe final season of his rookie contract, for $600,000 in 2011, he asked the Bears to negotiate a new one. The Bears were too low. Forte was too high and a deal never got done.

''I'm motivated every year,'' he said. ''I'm not worried about being motivated for whatever reason. It's not like I've come out and played the game because I'm mad or anything like that. I come out there to succeed for my teammates and for myself.'' (And him I actually believe him when he says this. Roy Williams no, but Forte, yes)
If Forte keeps up this pace, Bears general manager Jerry Angelo is going to have to pay up eventually. Though Forte insists it's all business and he holds no personal animosity toward the Bears for not giving him a new deal, it'll be interesting to see just how much loyalty towards the Bears Forte feels after the way this season has gone. (Price is going up Jer. Every week he gets closer to that DWill deal)

[Riczaj01]

he's on par for 1300+ rec yards and 1400 rushing on 360 touches...if he stays healthy and we end up w/a winning record and maybe even sneak into the playoffs how is he not the MVP w/2700 yards for a rb?

He is well on his way to surpassing that DWill deal; and at this point I don't think the Bears will do anything but Franchise him; they have no intention of paying that type of money; no matter how deserving it is.

[soulman]

he's on par for 1300+ rec yards and 1400 rushing on 360 touches...if he stays healthy and we end up w/a winning record and maybe even sneak into the playoffs how is he not the MVP w/2700 yards for a rb?

He is well on his way to surpassing that DWill deal; and at this point I don't think the Bears will do anything but Franchise him; they have no intention of paying that type of money; no matter how deserving it is.

I fear you may be right. If he's reaching his peak right now and at the very top of his game they get two years out of him 2011/2012 for about $9 mil give or take $500k. That's a whole lot less risk than the $21 mil DWill got. I think they're hoping prices will trend downward or he won't be quite as attractive in 2013.

[motownbear]

Maybe they will pay the man during bye week if not I stick to original theory of the mccaskeys extra dividend this year

[soulman]

Maybe they will pay the man during bye week if not I stick to original theory of the mccaskeys extra dividend this year

LOL. The McCaskey Yacht?

[GermansbombedPH]

If he's not the best player in the NFL right now, I don't know who is

Foster ;)

[go4bears]

Foster has been up and down, mostly because of injury. But, overall stats and the role each player plays for their offense, Forte is the Bears offnese. I don't know of any offensive player this year that has taken the offense on their back and carried it. Even Brady is up and down in his performance. Aaron Rodgers is up there, but he has a lot of weapons and they all have been chipping in to get where they are now. Forte is by far the offensive MVP this year. Without him and we are lucky to be as good as the Vikings.

[GermansbombedPH]

I agree with Forte offensiv MVP so far.

But a healthy Foster is better than Forte. Have you seen Texans yesterday? Forte is #2 in my books