Bears Blitz

Published by Christopher Murphy on October 12, 2010
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Chicago Bears

The Chicago Bears came into Sunday’s road game against the Carolina Panthers ranked 31st in the NFL in rushing.

Matt Forte rushed for a career-high 166 yards and two touchdowns on 22 carries and Chester Taylor added 43 yards on 18 carries as the Bears went on to a 23-6 victory in Carolina. The Bears had 218 total rushing yards, which is the most since they had 223 rushing yards against the Phoenix Cardinals in 1990.

Chicago rushed for 122 yards in the first quarter, going over 100 yards in the opening quarter for the first time since 1996. Forte’s 101 yards in the first quarter made him the first Bears player to top 100 yards in any quarter since James Allen on Dec. 20, 1998 in a win over the Ravens

One could point to the competition as a huge factor, but with Todd Collins under center any defense should be able to stop a rushing attack they know is coming. The Carolina Panthers could not.

With such a drastic turnaround, our only other evidence for the positive run game is the shuffling of the offensive line. After allowing a franchise-record 10 sacks last week against the New York Giants, the Bears had a different look at offensive line (1985 was the Super Bowl Shuffle, 2010 is the Offensive Line Shuffle).

Two first-time starters in right guard Edwin Williams and right tackle J’Marcus Webb, a rookie drafted in the seventh round, worked alongside left tackle Frank Omiyale, left guard Roberto Garza and center Olin Kreutz in the Bears big running day.

The offensive line also gave quarterbacks Collins and Caleb Hanie a good amount of time to throw, but still allowed three sacks, two of which, however, were more the quarterback’s fault than the line. 

With Chris Williams looking like he’s still a few weeks away from returning from a hamstring injury and Kevin Shaffer struggling, this could be the Bears starting line for the next few weeks.

On the other side of the ball, the Bears have been looking for someone on the defensive line to get to the quarterback besides Julius Peppers all season and Israel Idonije stepped up to the challenge Sunday. 

In a week when starting defensive end Mark Anderson, who was supposedly the big reason the Bears released Alex Brown before the season, was released and the starting job was given to Idonije, Idonije responded with three of the team’s five sacks, seven tackles and a forced fumble.

Idonije overtook Peppers for the team-lead in sacks and the Bears, who came into Week 5 with four sacks, more than doubled their sack total. Idonije became the first Bears player to record three sacks in a came since defensive end Adewale Ogunleye had three on Nov. 11, 2007 against the Oakland Raiders.

If the Bears get Jay Cutler back with a line that can actually block and a run game that exists, along with a defensive line who can get pressure, the surprising 4-1 Chicago Bears could become the understandably NFC North champion Chicago Bears.

However, it was the Carolina Panthers without Steve Smith…just saying.

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