It’s time to start talking about Matt Forte as an MVP candidate.
Forte, the Bears running back who has contributed a bigger share of his team’s scrimmage yards than any other player in the league, had a huge game again on Sunday in London, rushing for 145 yards as the Bears beat the Buccaneers.
A brilliant 32-yard touchdown run by Forte got the scoring started, and Forte also contributed a 36-yard catch on his way to 183 yards from scrimmage on the day. He does everything the Bears need him to do.
Other than Forte, the story of the game was that the two quarterbacks threw a total of six interceptions, with Chicago’s Jay Cutler having two and Tampa Bay’s Josh Freeman chipping in four. Neither team’s passing game could get going.
And that’s why the difference was the running game. The Bucs, already playing without starting running back LeGarrette Blount, also lost his replacement, Earnest Graham, to an ankle injury. Third-stringer Kregg Lumpkin couldn’t get anything going against the Bears’ defense, finishing with just 15 yards on eight carries.
But Forte got everything going for the Bears. He’s the best running back in the league right now.