Anatomy of a Touchdown: Matt Forte Preseaon Week Two

Welcome to the inaugural edition of Anatomy of a Touchdown. With frames of game action, we will show you everything but the touchdown dance.

In this edition, we will break down Matt Forte's 34-yard TD run in the second week of the 2009 preseason against the Giants.

(Anatomy of a Touchdown will be a weekly feature on TheHalasObserver.com)

Before the Snap

Nothing fancy, The Giants show a base 4-3 against the Bears' signature Double Tight End formation.

BEARS OFFENSE(top to bottom)

WR2-Earl Bennet

TE2-Greg Olsen
LT-Orlando Pace
LG-Frank Omiyale
C-Olin Kreutz
RG-Roberto Garza
RT-Chris Williams
TE1-Desmond Clark

HB-Matt Forte
QB-Jay Cutler

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GIANTS DEFENSE

CB-Corey Webster

RE-Osi Umenyiora
3T-Barry Cofield
NT-Jay Alford
LE-Justin Tuck

WLB-Michael Boley
MLB-Chase Blackburn
SLB-Clint Sintim

Point of Attack

In my opinion, the play is made because Desmond Clark handles Justin Tuck. Granted, he is on the weakside this play, but Tuck has the ability to run down Forte.

The strongside guard, on this play Frank Omiyale, does not get to the MLB and make a running lane if Tuck scrapes down the line looking for a tackle.

What took it into the end zone, however, is Forte's ability to find the hole and simply beat everyone on the field to the end zone. Once he hits his gear, it's enough to leave even DBs in the dust, as we saw on this play.

It doesn't matter how it's drawn up if your guy can't beat their guy.

This is how it unfolded:

TE1 Desmond Clark engages LE Justin Tuck, while RT Chris Williams cuts the inside man, NT Jay Alford.

RG Roberto Garza goes into the second level of the defense and gets probably a pinkie too much of SLB Clint Sintim, who gets to Forte's lane a second late. Garza whiffs about 89 percent on this play.

C Olin Kreutz is driven into the backfield by Barry Cofield, who is too involved and boxed out to make a play.

The "glamour" of the line comes from the LG Omiyale who gets to the second level and simply deactivates MLB Chase Blackburn, causing the huge lane in the middle of the field.

LT Orlando Pace pulls outside of TE2 Greg Olsen, slamming into the awaiting WLB Michael Boley.

Olsen, meanwhile, gets involved enough with RE Osi Umenyiora to allow Forte to run right by them both.

It should be noted that while Umenyiora, Cofield, and even Boley all had legitimate chances at the ball, given their position, none of them really did anything horrible to blow the play.

In the cases of Umenyiora and Boley, both tried to turn the ball inside, as they were coached to do—too bad that's where the hole was.

In Cofield's case, its as simple as being turned the wrong way. Had he gotten an arm free, this probably wouldn't have been a TD.

Setting the Scene

The aftermath of the collisions.

SLB Clint Sintim is clearly free of Roberto Garza's block and darting towards Forte.

There is a pileup where Chris Williams effectively neutralized Jay Alford—and also Desmond Clark...maybe Justin Tuck too. Whatever works, right?

Barry Cofield is the lone clue that there was once a defensive line on the field. Olin Kreutz has been driven back, but has his man sealed.

Greg Olsen has now lost control of Osi Umenyiora. This is where Matt Forte makes his dough, because the next frame is him getting past Umenyiora as he opens his hips to try and catch the now sprinting Forte.

Michael Boley is extended and engaged with Orlando Pace and has no shot of making the play from his position. Boley actually beats Pace to the point of attack, but as noted, he attacks to the outside, so the lane Forte uses to get into the end zone is Boley-free.

Noticeably absent from this frame: Frank Omiyale, who is driving Chase Blackburn into the lake at this point.

Off to the Races

The action gets even murkier and is hard to see, but yet oh so clearly, Forte leads the pack while a safety enters the frame and COMPLETELY over-runs the play. He gets even to Forte, not into him. He has to stop and flip his hips, and by then, it's over.

Forte's vision takes him in-between a natural lane, created in part by Omiyale, in which Blackburn and another DB again get passed by Forte on the way to the end zone.