Eagles coach Andy Reid likes what he sees in Matt Forte
Eagles coach Andy Reid was asked last week about his featured running back LeSean McCoy, who is second in the NFL with 754 rushing yards.
But he quickly changed the subject to Bears running back Matt Forte who leads the league with 1,091 yards from scrimmage.
“You turn on the film, and he jumps out at you,” Reid said. “You think you have him; and then you don’t. That’s a pretty good quality to have as a running back. He can make you miss, and he can run over you. He can run inside, and he can run outside. He catches the ball like a wide receiver.”
Forte has produced 46.2 percent of the Bears’ total offense, and his career average of 155.9 yards from scrimmage is fifth in NFL history behind Priest Holmes (163.4), O.J. Simpson (160.2), Chris Johnson (156.8) and Marshall Faulk (156.4).
“Obviously Mike (Martz) has a tremendous amount of confidence in him,” Reid said. “Jay (Cutler) obviously has a ton of confidence in him, throwing him the football. I don’t know him personally, but I have a feeling he’s a very smart player.
“He has one of the best coordinators in the league and one of the best quarterbacks in the league, and a good offensive line. I know the offensive line has taken some hits, but son of a gun, man, they’re doing a pretty good job.”
Gimme a break:Even though the Bears were on a two-game winning streak, offensive line coach Mike Tice believes the off week was greatly appreciated by coaches and players alike.#147;We all need a day off,#148; Tice said. #147;I was sick of those guys, and I#146;m sure they were sick of me. You#146;ve got Chris (Spencer), who was out there playing in a cast; you#146;ve got J#146;Marcus (Webb), who has had both ankles sprained, and then a knee sprain, he#146;s got an knee brace on, now he#146;s got an elbow brace on because he hurt his elbow against Tampa in the second quarter. He needed a break. Roberto (Garza) is about 50, about two years younger than me, so he needed a break.#148;Seriously, though, Tice believes some down time can be beneficial.#147;We needed the time off, and it was good for them to get a little break,#148; he said. #147;Sometimes it#146;s good to reflect and just sit back and take a look at yourself and see what you can do better. I think the guys did it, and they came back enthusiastic, in great spirits and a little more pep in their step.#148;Still the man:Despite his earlier off-field problems and two-year incarceration on dog-fighting charges, opponents still respect Eagles quarterback Michael Vick.#147;I#146;d take him on my team,#148; Bears wide receiver Roy Williams said. #147;Dog-fighting or not, I don#146;t care. That#146;s over with. He#146;s making plays. (The Eagles) cashed in, and they got a great steal.#148;D.J. Moore, the Bears#146; 24-year-old cornerback grew up a Vick fan.#147;Everybody was,#148; Moore said. #147;You played Madden (video football game), and you get Vick, you run around, you#146;re gonna win the game. Once you start playing (against) him, you kind of look at it as, #145;I#146;m on the same level.#146; #147;He#146;s just Mike Vick now,#148; Moore said in a normal voice, before raising it a few octaves. #147;He was MIKE VICK, back then.#148;Ÿ Follow Bob#146;s Bears reports via Twitter @Bob LeGere and check out our Bear Essentials blog at dailyherald.com.