Forte on a good run for Bears

Almost half of Matt Forte's 865 rushing yards this season have come in the past five games and, in terms of yards per carry, the past four games have been the most productive of his career.

Starting with the Philadelphia Eagles game — when he rushed for 117 yards on just 14 carries, including a 61-yarder — Forte has 298 yards on 53 carries for a 5.6-yard average.

Keeping their featured runner strong for the entire season, especially for the stretch run, was the idea when veteran running back Chester Taylor was signed in the off-season. And even though Taylor has struggled to find running room, he has eased some of Forte's burden.

“It's tough for one running back to make it through a tough season,” Bears coach Lovie Smith said. “So bringing Chester in to help out was a part of the plan.

“Matt has played good football lately. Really like how physical he was this past week. You have a guy 220 pounds who can make you miss in the open field, great catcher out of the backfield and then can run over you, too. That's a tough combination.”

Forte, who is third on the team with 39 catches and 431 yards, gashed the Minnesota Vikings for 92 yards on 17 carries.

He's on pace for 232 carries this season, light duty compared to his 316 carries as a rookie in 2008 and his 258 last season.

But he's proving that more can be less. His current 4.3-yard average per carry is a significant upgrade over his career average of 3.8.

ŸFollow Bob LeGere's Bears reports via Twitter@BobLeGere. Check out his blog, Bear Essentials, at dailyherald.com.