Too hot
Martellus Bennett
At his current pace, Bennett is on track for 116 catches, 1,180 yards and 16 touchdowns. The seventh-year tight end delivered a career day in a losing effort Sunday, registering nine grabs for 134 yards and using his toughness after the catch to spark the offense. Bennett had never had a 100-yard receiving effort before Sunday but passed that mark by halftime. “This,” Bennett said afterward, “is just the first of many.”
Too cold
Lamarr Houston
Jared Allen missed his first game since 2007, left at home with what Fox Sports’ Jay Glazer reported as pneumonia. That left the Bears desperately needing a spark from their other starting defensive end. Instead, Houston was invisible all afternoon. He didn’t register on the final box score and was part of the problem for an anemic pass rush that failed to rattle Aaron Rodgers. Through four games, Houston is without a sack and has contributed only three tackles. The Bears certainly expected more when they signed him to a five-year, $35 million deal in March.
Just right
Matt Forte
The Bears were never worried about Forte’s subpar games against the 49ers and Jets, and Sunday showed why not. Forte totaled 122 rushing yards on 23 carries, an average of 5.3 yards per attempt. He also caught five passes for 49 yards, back on track in an offense that values his durability and versatility. “Getting him going opens up some stuff for us in the passing game,” Jay Cutler said. Forte delivered his 21st career 100-yard rushing game and also went over 10,000 yards from scrimmage for his career.
