One set of numbers took Matt Forte by surprise.
A scroll through Bears history showed how Walter Payton, the franchise’s career rushing leader with 16,726 yards, finished with no yards on eight carries in his rookie debut.
“I’m hoping to do better than that,” Forte said with a smile.
The Bears hope he does too.
Forte, a second-round pick from Tulane, is the first Bears rookie running back to start a season opener since Hall of Famer Payton did in 1975. The hype surrounding Forte’s arrival has simmered since he was drafted, but expectations remain high.
“That’s what everybody wants to see,” he said. “They want to see the new guys come in and see what they have. They’ve seen us in preseason, but the preseason is nothing like the regular season. They want to see what happens when we’re under the bright lights.”
Forte’s debut Sunday night in Indianapolis is the most highly anticipated for a Bears rookie running back since Cedric Benson’s in 2005. Benson, whose campaign started after a 36-day holdout, carried the ball three times for 10 yards in the ’05 season opener at Washington. The Redskins won 9-7.
“I remember moving a little bit too quickly, just being too eager to make something happen,” Benson said by phone Saturday. “I remember seeing an opening and just trying to hit it as fast as I could. Of course, we weren’t moving the ball, so that made me a little more eager.”
Dating to Gale Sayers in 1965, rookie running backs have had little success in their Bears debuts. The most successful in terms of yardage was Curtis Enis in 1998. He finished with 79 yards on 12 carries in a 24-23 loss to Jacksonville. The only one to score a touchdown among a group of eight was Rashaan Salaam in ’95.
Even Sayers, for all his greatness, got off to a slow start. His debut against the 49ers included two fumbles (one lost) as he rushed for 44 yards on 12 carries. But Sayers quickly established himself in Game 3 against Green Bay, rushing for 80 yards on 17 carries. He also caught five passes, including a 65-yard touchdown from Rudy Bukich, and ran for a 6-yard score against the Packers.
“When I got to the Bears training camp as a rookie, I saw Andy Livingston and Ronnie Bull and Jon Arnett … they were good football players,” Sayers said. “But when I saw them in practice, I knew I had more speed and I could see the field better than all of those people. I knew that all I needed was a chance to play. I knew I could start for the Bears; I knew I could beat those guys out.”
Forte has a confidence, too — a quiet confidence. His teammates notice it, part of the reason they believe he’ll have a successful rookie season. But there’s no guarantee he’ll have a memorable debut.
The Colts had the third-best defense in the NFL last season, allowing just 279.7 yards per game. They were, however, more susceptible to the run than the pass. Denver rushed for 223 yards against the Colts last season. Jacksonville’s Fred Taylor was the last player to go for 100 against them, gaining 104 in December.
“I just want to come out in my first NFL game and do what I’ve been coached to do,” Forte said. “I want to just execute all the plays, and, hopefully, we come out with a win.”
———-
vxmcclure@tribune.com
