National Football League

Forte, Taylor hope to carry heavier load for Bears

Published Nov. 2, 2010 12:25 a.m. ET

foxsports

Matt Forte is feeling as good as he did before the opener. Chester Taylor is well-rested, too.

Then again, the Chicago Bears haven't exactly been taxing their running backs.

While quarterback Jay Cutler keeps getting pounded, the ball carriers seem more like an afterthought and that's something they would like to change.

Back from a week off after dropping three of four, the stumbling Bears (4-3) hope to stop their slide this week against winless Buffalo in Toronto.

It might help if they got the running backs more involved, and if ever there was a chance, this would seem to be it. No team is allowing more yards rushing per game than the Bills at 188.7 yards.

''It's pretty obvious that we need to establish the run a little more to help out the passing game and then cut down on turnovers and hold onto the ball,'' Forte said.

The Bears have done none of that lately.

They committed six turnovers in a loss to Washington two weeks ago, with Cutler getting intercepted four times by DeAngelo Hall. He also got sacked four times, giving him 19 in his past three games and bringing his league-leading total to 27.

Now, he's under scrutiny, as is offensive coordinator Mike Martz.

And the same issue that hovered over the Bears heading into the weekend is still hanging there coming out of it: Will they try to strike more balance?

Coach Lovie Smith and Martz have talked about getting the running backs more involved, but so far it's just that - talk.

The Bears are averaging 88.6 yards rushing. They've attempted 215 passes and 156 rushes, an eye-opening disparity in the land of Walter Payton and Gale Sayers even if Martz is known for his pass-happy ways.

Now, here comes Buffalo.

The Bills rank 31st in yards allowed per carry (5.0) and have allowed an average of 220 yards rushing over their past five games, three of which were against teams that rank among the top eight in running in Kansas City, the New York Jets and Jacksonville Jaguars.

All that would seem to indicate that this could be a busier week for Forte and Taylor. That could tempt Martz to keep looking deep, although the running game could set it up.

It's his job to strike a balance.

''If they say it, I'm pretty sure they're going to do it,'' said Taylor, who has 44 carries for 160 yards.

That's what he anticipated when he signed with Chicago in the offseason and joined Forte in what he figured would be a versatile backfield. Both have rushed for 1,200 yards in a season, are capable pass-catchers, and Forte is healthy after being slowed by knee and hamstring problems last season.

Now about halfway through the season, they're still trying to find their niche, and the calls to get them more involved are growing louder with each hit Cutler takes.

''We need to establish the run, so that's probably what we're going to try to do,'' said Forte, who has 352 yards rushing and 303 receiving.

Only twice this season have the Bears run the ball more than 19 times. They did it against Carolina last month when Cutler sat out with a concussion, with Forte going for 166 yards and the Bears finishing with 218 yards on 42 carries.

In the opener against Detroit, they ran 31 times for 101 yards - not a great average. But it was a good day for Forte.

Although he didn't gain much on the ground, he was a big part of the passing game with seven catches for 151 yards and two touchdowns. He turned a screen pass into an 89-yard TD reception.

But he hasn't caught more than five passes in a game since then. And only once in the past six games has he carried more than 12 times.

''We do need to get those guys involved more,'' Smith said. ''The more times they touch the football, the more likely something good will happen for the Bears.''