My Matt Forte Blog

Jay Cutler the Savior?
When he came to Chicago he was considered a savior, but after 11 weeks of the 2009 NFL season, the tides of popular opinion are starting to change for Jay Cutler.

After a loss to the Eagles in week 11 (where there were at least three crucial overthrows of receivers), there are some major questions about whether trading for Jay Cutler was a good idea.

However, if you look at the facts, there are many contributions to the teams struggles outside of Cutler's performance.

The Offensive Line
Simply put, the offensive line has been ineffective. There have been no holes for Matt Forte to run through and Cutler has had to work harder to buy more time in the quickly shrinking pocket.

The off-season signing of an aging Orlando Pace was supposed to provide some stability but has proved to be an ineffective blocker.

The Running Game
Maybe more of a symptom of the offensive line's terrible play, but Matt Forte has not had a season that was expected of him. Not even close at all.

A favorite of ex-quarterback Kyle Orton, Forte has not been a favorite target of Cutler's this year. Coupled with the poor run blocking, it is easy to see that Forte just has not been able to create any momentum from game to game

Offensive Play Calling
Long a fixture of blame in Chicago, Ron Turner's playcalling has come in question again. With the running game continuing to struggle, Turner continues to run the same unsuccessful plays over and over again.

It will be interesting to see how the next couple games play out. If the offense continues to struggle, the anti-Turner sentiment will only get louder.

Where do the Bears go from there?
Only 7 teams have made the playoffs after starting 4-6 since 1990 according to the Elias Sports Bureau. So to say the odd's are stacked against the Bears would be an understatement.

However, at this point making the playoffs is not as important as some growth as the season winds down. Whether it is seeing the wide receivers improve as a group or see the defense playing with some cohesiveness, the Bear's need something to look forward to next season.

So maybe its Cutler's fault, maybe it isn't, but somebody needs to step up and show some improvement.