Ed Barkowitz: Bears still searching for their offensive Forte
JUST BECAUSE BEARS coach Lovie Smith seems intent on beating his head against the wall, it doesn't mean fantasy leaguers have to do the same.
JUST BECAUSE BEARS coach Lovie Smith seems intent on beating his head against the wall, it doesn't mean fantasy leaguers have to do the same.
Smith said he is sticking with underachieving running back Matt Forte and remains committed to establishing the ground game. Really, though, what choice does he have when his quarterback, Jay Cutler, commits more turnovers than a JV basketball team?
Smith is damned if he does stick to the run – Forte is averaging 3.5 yards per carry over his last five games - and damned if he doesn't – Cutler has 12 interceptions and six touchdowns in his last five.
The reason the Eagles are favored Sunday in Chicago is simple: Right now the Eagles are playing less lousy than the Bears. Welcome to NFL parity. Or is it parody?
"We're working to figure out exactly why we haven't been able to run the ball a lot better," Smith said. "It's a combination of things. Some of it falls on Matt. Some of it falls on our offensive line. Some of it falls on our passing game. All of the above."
Smith couldn't pinpoint exactly why the Bears can't run the ball, saying "but as much as anything, you just have to stay committed to what you believe in and eventually, we'll hit some of those cracks and break a couple."
Until they do, bench Forte and pass the Excedrin.
Win a shirt
With the holiday breathing down our necks like a hungry farmer with an ax, it's time to give thanks for the various blessings we've received this fantasy football season.
Three readers who share things they are most thankful for will be randomly selected to win a Daily News fantasy football t-shirt. It could be anything from being grateful that Chris Johnson fell in the draft to benefiting from Maurice Jones-Drew's falling down at the goal line last week. Personally, I'm thankful that Aaron Rodgers, except for one three-pick game, has seriously cut down on his interceptions.
Send what you are most thankful for by e-mail to fantasyfootball@phillynews.com or by fax to 215-854-5524 by 3 p.m. Wednesday. Include your name and hometown.
The Replacements
Looking at some running backs that are emerging on fantasy radars:
* Beanie Wells, Cardinals: Has become a fantasy spot starter and certainly someone more appealing than Forte. While Tim Hightower remains in the mix for the Cards, it's hard not to salivate when looking at Arizona's matchups in Weeks 15 and 16 against the Lions and Rams.
* Jason Snelling, Falcons: Atlanta is holding out hope that Michael Turner's high ankle sprain is just a short-term setback, which is rarely the case with such injuries. Little-known-fact alert: Snelling, a seventh-round pick out of Virginia in 2007, has epilepsy. Fortunately, he has it under control. Play him this week against the Giants.
* Justin Forsett, Seahawks: The 3-6 Seahawks have been garbage on the road this season and have a tough game this week at Minnesota. Forsett, a 2006 sixth-round pick by the Colts out of Cal, will fill in while Julius Jones (rib, lung) heals.
* Ladell Betts, Redskins: Much like 2006, Betts is studding it up as Clinton Portis' replacement. Be careful relying too much on Betts, who turned 30 in August and plays on a generally dismal offense.
* LeSean McCoy, running back, Eagles: Will get more work in Brian Westbrook's absence, but so too will Leonard Weaver. The Eagles' struggles in the red zone also are worrisome.
* Bernard Scott, Bengals: Not sure how much faith Cincinnati has in Scott since they went out and signed Larry Johnson. Brian Leonard also is in the Bengals' den of RBs.
Three up
* Marion Barber, running back, Cowboys: Will be a decent play this week against the Redskins, especially if massive run-stuffer Albert Haynesworth (ankle) can't play. Only recommend Dallas' teammate Tashard Choice in larger leagues and again only if Haynesworth is out.
* Donovan McNabb, quarterback, Eagles: The last two times the Bears have faced quarterbacks with a clue (Arizona's Kurt Warner, Cincy's Carson Palmer), they gave up five touchdown passes apiece. McNabb might not get five, but he should be throwing the ball frequently. Weather on Sunday night is not expected to be a factor.
* Brandon Gibson, wide receiver, Rams: Desperate for a wide receiver? Gibson, acquired by St. Louis from the Eagles in the deal for linebacker Will Witherspoon, is expected to start. He had seven catches for 93 yards against the Saints last week and faces a Cardinals defense ranked 30th in passing.
Three down
* Brandon Marshall, wide receiver, Broncos: Not saying he should be benched, unless there's a setback with his neck injury. But the bigger issue is that this is a lousy time for Denver to be playing musical quarterbacks because of injuries.
* JaMarcus Russell, quarterback, Raiders: Move over, Ryan Leaf.
* Lee Evans, wide receiver, Bills: Who would have thought the Bills could deteriorate so much and Terrell Owens had nothing to do with it?
Door Matt
Chicago running back Matt Forte's numbers are down from his fine rookie season of a year ago. Here's a look at the ugly projections:
Total
Att. Yds. Avg. TDs
2009 Thru 9 Games143 482 3.4 6
2009 Projected254 857 3.4 11
2008 Full316 1238 3.9 12
Ed Barkowitz, who drafted Matt Forte second overall in one of his leagues and is thankful this bleepin' season is almost over, has been writing about fantasy football for the Daily News since 2001.
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