Fumble frustrates Forte
ST. LOUIS — For the second consecutive week, Matt Forte had over 100 total yards, gaining 117 in the 42-21 loss Sunday to the Rams.
But after the game, the oft-used Forte was focused on the Bears’ first play, when he lost a fumble that resulted in a Rams touchdown and a 14-0 deficit.
“We made a lot of mistakes,” Forte said. “It was an ugly game today. If we want to win, we can’t make those mistakes, and especially as a running back, you can’t give the ball up.
“They went down and scored, and I give the ball right back to them. Within a couple of minutes it’s 14-0, so it’s hard to come back from that.”
With 11:21 left in the fourth quarter, Forte appeared to injure his right knee on a one-yard run. After the game, he was seen removing a protective pad that was taped to his midsection but gave no indication whether he suffered an injury.
He did say he has been dealing with ‘‘a couple injuries.”
Entering Sunday, Forte had been most efficient running the ball in the first quarter, averaging five yards per carry on his 36 firstquarter carries. He continued that trend, with 56 of his 77 rushing yards coming on the first touchdown drive.
“We were running multiple different [running plays] and pass plays,” Forte said. “So we kind of opened up the playbook.”
Speedy D-line
The Bears struggled with a speedy Rams defensive line, including end Robert Quinn, who was active in the backfield.
With 2:05 left in the game, Quinn sacked Josh McCown and forced a fumble that he returned 31 yards for a touchdown. Quinn also had two hurries.
“What stands out is their speed,” McCown said. “They are fast. It’s a really good, young defense that they have.
“The sky is the limit for those guys because they fly around and they built it the right way.
“You get in a situation when you’re down, in a dome, against their kind of pass rush and it’s hard [for an offensive line to block them].”
Equipment malfunction
Coach Marc Trestman said the team’s headsets were malfunctioning in the first half. As a result, the Bears needed to use hand signals.
Guard Kyle Long reported that it didn’t affect the play of the offensive line.