Can Matt Forte Pass Gale Sayers in the Record Books?

**Riczaj01** · 06-27-2012, 04:33 PM

Source: http://www.nbcchicago.com/blogs/grizzly-detail/matt-forte-gale-sayers-chicago-bears-record-160445745.html#ixzz1z1terp9S

The Bears aren't kicking off for months, it's never too early to get ready for season. It's time to take a look at the Bears record book, and see which Bears are close to moving up a notch. Starting out, is Matt Forte ready to join the Bears elite group of running backs?
There is little chance Forte will ever become the Bears' best running back of all time. Walter Payton sits atop the Bears record books with 16,726 yards, and is still regarded as the greatest running back of all time. To pass Payton, Forte would need both productivity and longevity. He has the productivity, but still has to prove he'll be around for a long time.
But Forte can pass another Bears' legend this season. He is just 723 yards behind Gale Sayers in the Bears' all-time yardage list. If Forte averages just 45 yards a game, he'll pass Sayers and become the fourth-best Bears rusher of all time. A breakout season with more than 1,424 yards could put Forte ahead of 50s and 60s star Rick Casares.
The big question is not can Forte pass Sayers. His worst season was for 929 yards, and he averages 70 yards per game. The question is whether Forte will play enough in 2012 for the Bears, and if he'll stay in Chicago past this season. He is still unsigned and didn't attend Bears minicamp. If he gets a long-term deal, you can bet he'll move past Sayers, Casares and even Neal Anderson.
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I'm not a fan of comparing era's, different game more or less games etcetc. But the fact that he could easily pass Neal Anderson in a few years speaks a lot about how well he's done. We're talking about 2K or so yards (rushing btw, not talking total yards from scrimmage). He could also very well end up in the top 20 in rec yards passing if he continues to get 300-400 yards a year.(sad that would be Walter/Neal/Forte in the top 20).

http://www.fantasyfootballchallenge....d-leaders.html

neat stat place that shows the yards/ rec's etc etc

**The Benjamin** · 06-27-2012, 05:14 PM

He might pass Sayers in yards, but will not be as good of a running back as he was

**Riczaj01** · 06-27-2012, 05:34 PM

Nope, just more durable. Neal wasn't as good as he was either....or the other guy in front of him(never even heard of him).

More fun stats from this link about the all time Bears(think a mod should take that link and sticky it in a new thread so people can always have it handy).

Urlacher is tied for 5th all time in sacks for this team; considering that is considered a weakness(according to talking heads) that's pretty impressive. Urlacher is also top 5 in int's.

Cutler is going to jump a ton a qb's on a lot of stuff, he's already top 10, top 5 in yards/td's/ints. Also, the top td'/yards guys are the top int guys too.

WP has the most receptions also; by 140....sigh. Love the man but seriously? Neal in 6th. Forte is 12th. that's 3 RB's in the top 12. That's before the ultra back theory too.
Devin Hester and Greg Olsen are both in the top 20. It suprises me that Hester is approx 20 more then Knox and Bennet; doesn't that scream how idiodic the previous OC's have been?

Yards, WP is 3rd. Hester leads the current crew, but Knox is much closer to him. Bennet still about 20 behind him though. For all the love Bennett gets(and I do also) I think the fans overrate him; he's a solid Possession guy that's it. Olsen was 33rd.

**JustAnotherBearsFan99** · 06-27-2012, 07:24 PM

Originally Posted by The Benjamin

He might pass Sayers in yards, but will not be as good of a running back as he was

This.

**Jimmors** · 06-28-2012, 05:19 AM

Originally Posted by Riczaj01

Nope, just more durable.

I dont think that is necessarily the case. Sayers was a phenom that played in a different era...one where medicine, training and technology was nowhere near as good as it is now. For all we know, had Sayers played in the past decade, he mightve had a longer career with less injury.

**bearsinhouston** · 06-28-2012, 07:33 PM

Truth of the matter is that any good running back should be able to pass Sayers total yards because he didn't play very long. But that doesn't mean they can run like he could.

**Riczaj01** · 06-28-2012, 10:21 PM

No but he could also pass the guy in front of Sayers and Neal if he gets another contract. He'll still be no where near WP, but that has a lot to do also w/no RB is ever going to get to play as long as WP did. And few if any backs would be durable enough to handle the 370-400+ carries(not including rec's) that WP did. That dude was an absolute beast. But if forte were to play 5 more years, yardage wise he would easily be 2nd and well could be the 2nd RB w/10K yards.

Sayers will always be a what if. His running style(from what I've seen in replays/highlights) was like watching Hester on punt returns. Run, cut, run, stop run and never slow down somehow. He was just as fluid as they come.

**JustAnotherBearsFan99** · 06-28-2012, 10:24 PM

I was a Bears fan throughout Sayers career. I've never seen any running back as gifted as Gale Sayers. There are all kinds of RB styles, from all around gifted athletes like Walter Payton, and then at the other extreme you have Gale Sayers who was a more specialized weapon. Blinding speed with the instinct moves of Devin Hester. But once he was injured he was never the same player.

We will never see a running back his equal IMHO.

Walter was a better all around RB though, and if I were picking 1 guy for my dream team it would be Payton, not Sayers.

**Riczaj01** · 06-28-2012, 11:37 PM

Thing about payton was his endurance. he played so long and always had a TON of touches. it was absurd. And he could run, block, rec, and pass. he was everything you want in a rb. and even though he had a huge ego, he was a complete team guy also; near one of a kind guy in WP.

I wish I could have seen Sayers play. I don't think Forte is in either of those catagories; but that's not a knock b/c so few, if any are. But it will be a shame if he leaves b/c like Sapp(or Dukes) whoever was in the 32 in 32 that said Forte is a guy you HAVE to gameplan for; Bush you don't. Forte will make that passing attack that much better b/c of his talent and threat.

**JustAnotherBearsFan99** · 06-29-2012, 02:25 AM

Originally Posted by Riczaj01

Thing about payton was his endurance. he played so long and always had a TON of touches. it was absurd. And he could run, block, rec, and pass. he was everything you want in a rb. and even though he had a huge ego, he was a complete team guy also; near one of a kind guy in WP.

I wish I could have seen Sayers play. I don't think Forte is in either of those catagories; but that's not a knock b/c so few, if any are. But it will be a shame if he leaves b/c like Sapp(or Dukes) whoever was in the 32 in 32 that said Forte is a guy you HAVE to gameplan for; Bush you don't. Forte will make that passing attack that much better b/c of his talent and threat.

I agree, that's a great way to put it. The problem I have with comparing RB's is that the greatest ones were so different in type. I can see a good argument for different RB's being considered "the greatest"...

My favorite was Walter, for the reasons you mention. But I can see why other people tout a different RB. Sayers was really a "one trick pony" but his one trick was better than any other RB that I've seen. He was blindingly quick with the moves of Devin Hester. He was a ton faster than Payton. But I still liked Payton's array of skills.

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