If Forte moves on, at least he left on high note
If running back Matt Forte never plays another game for the Bears - and odds are he won't - he left on a high note.
In the pantheon of Bears running backs, only Hall of Famer Walter Payton put up better numbers than Forte, who passed Green Bay Packers Hall of Famer Jim Taylor on the NFL's all-time rushing list Sunday to move into 37th place.
Forte, who can become an unrestricted free agent in March, rushed for 76 yards on 17 attempts (4.5-yard average) and caught 3 passes for 34 yards, including a 23-yard TD grab.
"I've played with some awesome pros," offensive lineman Matt Slauson said, "guys who are going to be in the Hall of Fame. Matt, to me, is the absolute best. And it's not just what he does on the field. It's what he does at the facility, how he works, how he prepares, how he studies, (and) how he passes that knowledge on to everybody else. He's just the absolute best."
Forte finished his eighth season with 898 rushing yards on 218 carries (4.1-yard average) and 389 receiving yards on 44 catches. Since he was drafted by the Bears in the second round out of Tulane in 2008, Forte's 12,718 yards from scrimmage are the most in the NFL.
"I'm gonna tell my kids about this guy, I'm gonna tell my grandkids about this guy if they don't already know," offensive tackle Kyle Long said. "He's a legend. He's somebody that should be in the conversation with the greats. He's the best player I've ever played with."
Forte said he took a few moments during timeouts to savor the atmosphere and reflect on a career that includes 8,602 rushing yards and 4,116 receiving yards, but he said the game itself felt the same.
"It wasn't any different than any other Sunday I've played the past eight years here," he said. "I enjoyed it. I put it out there on the field like I do every time."
But this time Forte interacted with fans on his way up the tunnel to the locker room.
"I was able to slap a few hands and say, 'Thank you,' " he said. "If this was the last time I played at Soldier Field, I didn't want to leave without showing the fans I appreciate them."
As for the kind words from his teammates?
"It means a lot," Forte said. "That's what you play the game for - to earn respect from your opponents and your teammates."
Words of wisdom:
Before he spoke to the media, coach John Fox addressed his players, and his message was simple.
"I'm very, very proud of them," Fox said. "Their effort, their spirit, they hung together (and) we went through a lot. Those are pretty good building blocks (as we) move forward.
"I know it's frustrating to go 1-7 here at Soldier Field, but we will get better."
Attitude adjustment:
Several players mentioned the improved attitude that was palpable this season on the heels of last year's 5-11 downer.
"It's because we play football," offensive tackle Kyle Long said. "We play teams tough. We're not going to lay down. We're going to run the ball. You're going to feel us. By the end of the day, you're going to know that you played the Chicago Bears."
Six of the Bears' 10 losses this season were by 6 points or less. Last season seven of the losses were by 13 points or more.
"We're not where we want to be but I'm not going to be finished here until we're a very, very good football team," Long said. "I intend to be a part of it, and I intend to be at the forefront of that."
Going to battle:
Despite throwing 3 interceptions, his first multiple-pick game of the season, Jay Cutler also had 2 TD passes and finished with a 95.7 passer rating, completing 17 of 23 passes for 245 yards.
He was sacked 4 times and hit as he threw on 2 of his 3 interceptions.
"He's a warrior, man," leading receiver Marc Mariani said. "I don't know how he even walks out of here. He takes hits and stands in there and delivers the ball. I have a lot of respect for him. I love suiting up with him, I love battling with him.
"We didn't make enough plays for him. But it's not on his shoulders. That dude plays hard, works hard, prepares hard. He's a great leader. I love him, man."
Cutler's 92.3 passer rating this season was the highest of his 10-year career.
Looking ahead:
In addition to home-and-away games with their NFC North foes in the 2016 season, the Bears will host the Jacksonville Jaguars, Philadelphia Eagles, San Francisco 49ers, Tennessee Titans and Washington. They travel to face the Dallas Cowboys, Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, New York Giants and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Also, the Bears will have the 11th overall pick in this year's draft.
Sitting it out:
Tight end Zach Miller (toe), wide receiver Eddie Royal (illness), center Hroniss Grasu (knee), cornerback Jacoby Glenn, offensive tackle Tayo Fabuluje, defensive linemen Jarvis Jenkins (ankle/illness) and Terry Williams were inactive Sunday.