Pompei: Bears call on Forte too much

[Xee]

Bears call on Forte too much
Bears need another running back to share rookie's heavy load

Dan Pompei | On the NFL
12:21 AM CST, December 13, 2008

Seeing Bears halfback Matt Forte on the sidelines getting medical attention Thursday night drew attention to how dependent the Bears are on him. Could anyone imagine what they would be like without the rookie?

Consider this: Forte has the highest percentage of his team's "touches" in the entire NFL—51 percent of the Bears' runs or throws.

Offensive coaches like to talk a lot about how important balance is in terms of run and pass. It's also important to have some balance in terms of personnel.

It's one thing to be overly dependent on a player like the incandescent Adrian Peterson of the Vikings. You can't give him the ball too many times because he is capable of the game-changing play at any given moment.

It is another thing to be overly dependent on Forte, who is more solid than he is spectacular.

For the sake of the offense and the player, the Bears would be served better if they developed another back who can take some of Forte's snaps and keep him fresher and healthier. They apparently don't believe Kevin Jones or Adrian Peterson can replace Forte without a precipitous drop-off, so they should be on the lookout either to draft a running back or to sign one as a free agent.

The Bears are a solid running team, but they could be even better with a two-pronged attack. It is no coincidence that all five of the top-ranked running teams make liberal use of more than one back.

The Giants have the Earth, Wind and Fire combination of Brandon Jacobs, Derrick Ward and Ahmad Bradshaw. The Falcons use Jerious Norwood to counter Michael Turner.

In Tennessee the emergence of rookie Chris Johnson to go with LenDale White has given birth to Smash and Dash. The Panthers' pair of first-round picks, DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart, tried to steal that nickname but deserve one of their own.

Like the Giants, the Ravens have gotten mileage from three backs— LeRon McClain, Willis McGahee and Ray Rice.

It's wonderful the Bears finally have found a dependable running back. Now they need to find another.

From the book shelf: For those looking to stuff the stocking of the NFL fan, we offer some book possibilities:

"A Few Seconds of Panic: A 5-Foot-8, 170-pound, 43-Year Old Sportswriter Plays In The NFL" by Stefan Fatsis: This is a modern day "Paper Lion," fascinating not only because of the author's journey but also because of its insight into an NFL organization and its locker room.

"Running For My Life: My Journey in the Game of Football and Beyond," by Warrick Dunn and Don Yaeger: Most athletes don't have an interesting autobiography in them, but Dunn, whose life changed when his mother was killed during his senior season of high school, certainly did.

"The Glory Game: How the 1958 NFL Championship Changed Football Forever," by Frank Gifford with Peter Richmond: On the golden anniversary of the greatest game ever, one of its most famous participants looks back at what happened, with help from many of those who played a role.

"How Football Explains America," by Sal Paolantonio: The ESPN personality writes about how America's game is intertwined with America's history and culture.

" NBC Sunday Night Football Cookbook": I'm not so sure about Desmond Clark's garlic-baked chicken breast, but the chef in the family is sure to get a few ideas from this book.

Quick hits: Thank you, Washington Redskins, for illustrating so clearly how ludicrous it is to have fans involved in the selection process for the Pro Bowl. The intense campaign the team ran to push for its players to be selected resulted in Redskins getting 12 of the 26 NFC starting positions in the fan vote. The fans vote counts for one-third of the final tally, with players and coaches getting two-thirds of the say. In the future the fan vote should be replaced with a media vote.

• What do you suppose would have happened to Ronnie Bull if he had gone to the press and derisively called George Halas a genius? Bull would have been on the next bus out of town. But when Clinton Portis calls Jim Zorn a genius in such a way, it probably will be Zorn who will be shipped out. That's the Redskins.

• Looks like it's time for Terrell Owens to find another team to torment. His feelings are hurt because Tony Romo has eyes for Jason Witten, as well as Jessica Simpson.

dpompei@tribune.com

[wab]

The Bears will have to rely heavily on Forte until they get Orton a real weapon at WR. When your HB and TE's are the bread and butter of your offense, you are gonna continue to have issues.

I would put WR and DE pretty much dead even on the draft board. I'm hoping we can pick up a WR in FA. Shaun McDonald would be a cheap option who has had to play behind some bigtime guys like Holt, Bruce, and Calvin Johnson. Hell, Holt might even be available as the Rams look to get younger as the rebuild under what should be a new coaching staff. Reggie Brown looks to be out of the picture in Philly, and I suppose we could throw big $$ at Housh...but I'm not so much a fan of that idea.

I have decided to get realistic about my hopes and dreams for Boldin. We are probably looking at another year of Hester, Davis, I hope Bennett...plus a rook and mid-level FA.

[Fumblebuck]

I have decided to get realistic about my hopes and dreams for Boldin. We are probably looking at another year of Hester, Davis, I hope Bennett...plus a rook and mid-level FA.

I fear your right WAB, but sure hope your wrong.

You know if we don't get Boldin, we could (legal concerns aside) probably get Plax for a song......just sayin.