The Matt Forte Era in Chicago literally began with a bang.
The Bears rookie running back grabbed a second-quarter pass, shook off a blow from linebacker Clint Sessions then absorbed a vicious stick from Colts safety Bob Sanders. The pinball action in the second quarter sent a woozy Forte to the sideline for a few plays, but he held on after the collision.
Forte’s fearless debut was contagious. The Bears played like they had nothing to lose and everyone’s respect to gain, recording a 29-13 victory behind 183 rushing yards, 123 by Forte on 23 carries, to spoil the opening of the Colts’ new home, Lucas Oil Stadium.
“This is an upset,” NBC’s Andrea Kremer said to linebacker Brian Urlacher after the game. “Nobody expected you to win.”
“We expected to win,” Urlacher replied. “It’s not an upset to us.”
The defense swarmed up front and hit the Colts in the mouth early, keeping them out of the end zone in the first half. And this was practically the same Peyton Manning-led offense that outscored opponents 236-134 in first halves last season.
The defense kept punching in the second half, with Lance Briggs’ 21-yard return of Charles Tillman’s forced fumble putting the Bears up 22-13 in the third quarter.
It was the second score for the defense, with a first-half safety by Adewale Ogunleye notching two points. Ogunleye’s fourth-down stop of Dominic Rhodes in the fourth quarter was another big play.
A Bears team that appeared listless in the preseason suddenly came to life, and Forte provided the biggest jolt. He set the tone with a 50-yard touchdown run in the first quarter, his team’s first score of the season. The most impressive aspect was the manner in which he did it.
The Bears faced third-and-6 from midfield, and the Colts expected a pass play. Quarterback Kyle Orton handed off to Forte, who dipped through the middle as right guard Roberto Garza drove middle linebacker Gary Brackett to the turf. Forte then showed off his elusiveness, putting a move on defensive back Antoine Bethea that would have made Walter Payton proud. Forte then outraced Sanders.
One could almost hear the Bears’ front office clapping in the background, as the second-round pick made his bosses look like draft geniuses, at least for a night. Forte reached the 100-yard mark on his 14th carry — a 3-yard run with 24 seconds left in the first half, becoming the first Bear to rush for 100 yards in his debut.
Forte’s strong effort made life easier on Orton, who looked calm from the first snap. Make that the second, because Olin Kreutz mishandled the first, leading to a false start on the center.
Orton carried his confidence into the fourth quarter, and made another key third-down conversion: a 26-yard pass to Clark on third-and-1, giving the Bears first-and-goal from the 1. Fullback Jason McKie’s 1-yard plunge punctuated an impressive offensive effort.
No wonder offensive coordinator Ron Turner’s smile was so wide at halftime.
It’s too early to tell if one player makes that much of a difference, but Forte certainly did his part Sunday.
