Forte miffed at Urlacher's jabs
Running back Matt Forte said he was unaware of linebacker Brian Urlacher's comments in an Internet story that were critical of his ability to make tacklers miss.
He wasn't thrilled when he was told.
"We've got to make people miss, we've got to block people, we've got to do a lot of things," said Forte, whose average per carry has dropped from 3.9 last year to 3.3. "It's not one particular thing that is hampering the offense. We're hurting ourselves most of the time."
Asked if he felt slighted by one of the team's defensive captains, Forte said: "Urlacher has his own opinion. If I couldn't make anybody miss, I probably wouldn't be playing pro football."
Among the 45 players with 300 or more rushing yards, Forte's average is the second lowest, ahead of only Larry Johnson, who is averaging 3.1 yards per carry.
"It's frustrating, but you can't harp on being frustrated because it carries over into other games," Forte said. "Then, you'll be focused on being frustrated instead of going out there and trying to do things right on the field."
Forte averaged 20 carries per game last season as a rookie, but he's getting just 15 attempts per game this season.
"When you don't get rushing opportunities as a running back, you have to try to make an impact somewhere else," he said, which is catching the ball and pass blocking."
Forte is third in the NFL among running backs with 46 receptions and second in receiving yards with 433.
Running on fumes: Quarterback Jay Cutler was asked if his presence has changed the identity of the Bears' offense from run first to a pass first, as linebacker Brian Urlacher said in an Internet story.
"We've struggled running the ball," Cutler said. "Brian's right. You don't have to run the ball every play. You don't have to be a running team. But when you run the ball, you have to be effective, and I think that's the most important part. There are a lot of teams that throw the ball a lot, but when they do run the ball it's effective. I think that's the main issue."
The Bears are last in the NFL in rushing yards and 23rd in average gain per run.
Offensive coordinator Ron Turner said it's not a philosophical change but a practical one because of the struggles in the run game.
"It's just the way it's turned out," Turner said. "We know we've got to be able to run the ball, we want to be able to run the ball, and we're committed to running the football."
Injury update: Linebacker Lance Briggs (knee/hip), offensive left tackle Orlando Pace (groin), cornerback Charles Tillman (concussion) and defensive end Alex Brown (leg) did not practice Wednesday.
None of them have been ruled out yet for Sunday, but right tackle Chris Williams worked at Pace's left tackle spot Wednesday, while backup Kevin Shaffer was at right tackle with the first team. The team will be especially cautious with Tillman because of the league's focus this year on head injuries.
Here and there: Linebacker Pisa Tinoisamoa was placed on injured reserve Wednesday to make room for linebacker Cato June. Linebacker Kevin Malast was added to the practice squad, replacing defensive end Joe Clermond, who was cut Tuesday night.
<div class="infoBox"> <h1>More Coverage</h1> <div class="infoBoxContent"> <div class="infoArea"> <h2>Stories</h2> <ul class="links"> <li><a href="/story/?id=341358">Cutler: Urlacher doesn't owe me an apology <span class="date">[12/02/09]</span></a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div>