The Bears’ 26-0 loss in Seattle on Sunday was their second straight blowout defeat – one that dropped them to 0-3 for the season. They’ve been outscored 105-46 this year and longtime Bears running back Matt Forte seemed to question his teammates’ commitment after their latest loss.
“It’s a question right now if everybody’s all in,” Forte said, according to Adam Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times (Twitter link).
For his part, it looks as though Forte is “all in” this season, a rare bright spot on a lousy team. The 29-year-old added 74 rushing yards Sunday, giving him 202 on a terrific 5.2 per-carry average.
More from around the NFL:
- Eagles football czar and head coach Chip Kelly garnered plenty of criticism for his roster construction methods during the offseason and has continued to draw ire during the team’s 1-2 start, but he has a fan in Jeffrey Lurie. The Eagles’ owner referred to Kelly’s tenure as “very good,” per ESPN.
- Jets running back Chris Ivory dressed for Sunday’s 24-17 loss to Kelly’s Eagles, but he had a quad injury and never got into the game. Head coach Todd Bowles elected to keep Ivory on the sideline in order to get him healthy, though Ivory felt he could have played.“I’m not sure how the decision was made,” said Ivory, per Newsday’s Kimberley A. Martin. “I felt comfortable enough to play [after warm-ups], but I just didn’t want it to be nothing that would linger around.”
- Prior to the season, Panthers cornerback Josh Norman turned down a contract extension worth upward of $7MM per year, according to Joseph Person of The Charlotte Observer. Norman’s decision to gamble on himself is proving smart, Person writes, as the fourth-year man has turned into a shutdown defender. Norman sealed Carolina’s 27-22 win over New Orleans on Sunday with an interception, his second of the year.
- The 49ers dealt with a number of significant offseason departures and now they’re reeling at 1-2, their latest defeat being a humiliating 47-7 loss to NFC West rival Arizona. After the game, linebacker Ahmad Brooks acknowledged their weakened roster, per Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle (Twitter link). “This is our team. We’ve got to make the best out of who we have,” said Brooks.
- Adding to the 49ers’ anguish, Cardinals safety Tyrann Mathieu offered a less-than-glowing assessment of their offense Sunday, according to Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com. “Their passing game has just simplified so much, it was easy for us to anticipate routes, get some good breaks on the ball,” said Mathieu. With Mathieu’s help, the Cardinals held the 49ers to an embarrassing 67 aerial yards and intercepted four passes.
- The 0-3 Ravens aren’t a good team and the secondary is their most glaring weakness, writes Mike Preston of the Baltimore Sun. After containing Peyton Manning in Week 1, the Ravens allowed over 700 combined passing yards to Andy Dalton and Derek Carr.