5 Chicago Bears That Need to Step Up After Matt Forte's Knee Injury

There were two players on the Chicago Bears offense they could ill-afford to lose to injury: Jay Cutler and Matt Forte.  Three weeks ago against the San Diego Chargers the Bears lost Cutler to a fractured thumb on his throwing hand, and Sunday against the Kansas City Chiefs Forte left the game with a knee injury. 

The Bears should expect to be without Forte anywhere from two to four weeks.  Simply put, they will be forced to play the rest of the regular season without their top two playmakers and offensive leaders.  

While the Bears still have a strong chance at making the playoffs, they will need to regroup as a team to overcome these injuries.  Everyone from the players to coaches will have to step up their games the last four weeks of the regular season if the Bears are to make the playoffs for the second consecutive season.

Mike Martz

The offensive coordinator of the Chicago Bears is going to have to have his best games as a play-caller for the remainder of the season if the Bears are to make the playoffs.  He has an inexperienced quarterback, unproven wide receivers and a running back that has never averaged more than 65 yards per game.

Mike Martz will need to put quarterback Caleb Hanie in a position to succeed with the plays he calls to help him avoid making bad decisions and game-changing mistakes.  The adjustment had already been made to have more of a focus on running the ball, but pounding the rock alone will not put points on the board. 

He will also need to get creative in getting the ball into the hands of his most talented players.  Speed guys like Devin Hester and Johnny Knox will need more packages added to the game plan, and reliable guys like Earl Bennett will need to be more involved every game.

Martz is going to be challenged to confuse opposing defenses and not let them pin their ears and attack Hanie.  The Bears offense will not be setting any records for excellence the rest of this season.  If Martz forces his young quarterback to carry the offense he will not be doing him or the team justice, so he will have to find the perfect mix of running plays, safe passes and the occasional shot downfield in order for the Bears offense to not implode and ruin their chances at making the playoffs.

Devin Hester

Devin Hester is the greatest return man in the history of the NFL.  He holds the record for return touchdowns and has impacted special teams like no other player the game has seen.

The one area of Hester's game that he has not be ridiculous has been as a wide receiver.  He has shown flashes of greatness but for the most part has become an afterthought while the offense is on the field.

Hester is the most dynamic athlete the Bears have left on offense.  He must have a larger role in the offense moving forward to help Caleb Hanie, Marion Barber and the rest of the offensive unit put some points on the board.

The Bears should work Hester into the game plan more and give make sure he gets at anywhere from 10 to 15 touches on offense each game.  They will need to run some bubble screens for him, get the ball on an end-around or two and maybe even line him up in the backfield like the Vikings do with Percy Harvin. 

Every time Hester touches the ball he is a threat to score.  Lovie Smith and the coaching staff must utilize that threat and get creative during the week in finding ways to involve Hester more in the offense.

The Defense

Offense is great, but defense wins championships.  The Chicago Bears will need their defense to play like a championship defense the rest of the season to accommodate for the lost firepower on offense.

Under head coach Lovie Smith the Bears have forced the most turnovers in the NFL and have been one of the best defenses in the league.  Now Brian Urlacher, Julius Peppers and company are going to be asked to do more than they have all season.

Not only will the defense have to keep opponents off the scoreboard, but it will have to find a way to score some points, too.  The offense is in flux after losing Matt Forte to a knee injury, managing a whopping three points against the lowly Chiefs.  If the defense cannot put points on the board, or set up the offense with great field position, this once-promising football season could end without the Bears seeing postseason action.

Caleb Hanie

Caleb Hanie was going to have to play better even if Matt Forte didn't get hurt.  Now that the Bears best offensive weapon is on the shelf for the next few weeks, the young backup quarterback has to play like a starter.

Hanie doesn't have a stud wide receiver like Andre Johnson or Larry Fitzgerald at his disposal.  Instead, he has to make plays with a stable of receivers who don't strike fear into any defense around the league. 

The success of the offense is going to fall squarely on Hanie's shoulders for the rest of the season.  He has to eliminate turnovers and make better and more decisive decisions with the ball.  He has to find a way to succeed and put points on the board. 

If Hanie doesn't drastically improve his play it is going to be a long and painful conclusion to the season for him and his teammates.

Marion Barber

Marion Barber has just become the most important player on the Chicago Bears roster.  He is now the featured running back for the Bears and will be asked to pick up Matt Forte's slack on offense during the final stretch of the season. 

Barber is a physical back that runs north and south and with a fierceness that earned him the nickname "The Barbarian."  He has been a nice complement to Forte so far this season, spelling him when necessary and converting on short yardage and goal-line situations.

If Barber can stay consistent with what he has done so far this season, averaging just short of four yards per carry doing a good job in pass protection, the Bears will not be as bad off as most think.  He needs to understand that he is not Matt Forte and has to play the game like he knows how to play it.