Matt Forte: Start Bears RB with Confidence vs. Cowboys

Although the Dallas Cowboys were successful bottling up Tampa Bay Buccaneers rookie running back Doug Martin last week, they have shown this season that they can be beat on the ground.

That is why you should start Chicago Bears running back Matt Forte with confidence on Monday night in Dallas.

The multi-talented back is coming off an ankle injury in Week 4, but is expected to start and get a good-sized workload against the Cowboys, per Jay Glazer of Fox Sports. 

On top of that, backup Michael Bush reportedly has a "significant" shoulder injury, according to Tom Kessenich of STATS LLC. His role could be reduced on Monday night.

While the Cowboys allowed Martin to rush for only 53 yards on 19 carries last week, they coughed up 122 yards and a touchdown on the ground to Marshawn Lynch in Week 2 and saw Ahmad Bradshaw average 4.6 yards per carry and score a touchdown against them in Week 1.

Despite only having 16 carries in Week 1 (while Bush had 12), Forte still managed to rack up 80 yards and a touchdown on the ground against the Indianapolis Colts. He also managed three catches for 40 yards. 

In his Pro Bowl year last season, Forte was dynamic, rushing for 997 yards and three touchdowns on 4.9 yards per carry and catching a whopping 52 balls for 490 yards and a touchdown....which is why the Bears granted him a lucrative four-year, $32 million extension in the offseason.

When Forte is on the field, the fact remains: he's one of the most diverse running backs in the league. He's also relatively young at 26 years of age. He will undoubtedly wear down in the next few years given his workload, but for now you have to start him every chance you get. 

A star like Forte finds ways to make an impact on the field and in the box score, whether he's coming off an injury or not.