Matt Forte Thinks Bears Are Holding One Of Their Players Back

The Chicago Bears made it to the bye week without letting the season spiral out of control. It came close. Starting 0-2 while including a 4th quarter collapse and a 52-21 blowout loss would’ve done it to other teams. Yet head coach Ben Johnson managed to rally the troops and deliver two scrappy wins. He knew going into the break that he and his coaching staff must prioritize finding ways to shore up their areas of weakness. One of the most obvious is the running game, which currently ranks second-worst in the NFL. Former Bears legend Matt Forte has some thoughts about that.

He understands why Johnson has stuck with D’Andre Swift to this point. The veteran can be so dangerous due to his blazing speed. All you need is one well-blocked play, and he can house it. Unfortunately, his mediocre vision and patience often lead to missed opportunities. Forte believes the Bears might have something with rookie Kyle Monangai, who has flashed in his limited opportunities this season. He told CHGO that he hopes the Bears give him more.

Matt Forte understands the position better than most.

If he says there are limitations to what Swift can offer as the primary back, it might be wise to take his advice. Don’t be fooled by Monangai’s 3.3 yards per carry. That is mostly because of an eight-yard loss he had against Dallas, where he broke four tackles before finally going down. In truth, he has averaged over four yards per carry this season. His strength, contact balance, and vision are big positives, carrying over from what you saw at Rutgers. The likeliest explanation for his lack of chances is his speed. He’s not fast, and Coach Johnson typically prefers backs who have juice.

Still, there has to be a point where the Bears do something. Their current approach hasn’t worked. Matt Forte can see that. Fans can see that. If Swift can’t get things going, maybe Monangai can. Some guys just bring a steady presence to the ground game, even if they lack the home run swing. The 7th round pick has that feel.

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Lions’ Branch Likely Faces Monster Penalty After Scrum With Mahomes, Chiefs - HC Dan Campbell turned his back on this defender, siding with the opponent

The Detroit Lions lost for the first time in more than a month on the road against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, October 12, and safety Brian Branch was none too happy about it.

As the game wound down with the Chiefs up by 13 points and Patrick Mahomes on the field running out the clock, Branch walked past the Kansas City QB. Mahomes reached out to shake Branch’s hand, though the Lions defensive back refused to offer his back.

At that point, Chiefs wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster reacted to Branch’s snub of Mahomes. Branch reacted back, charging the wideout and striking him in the face mask. The blow knocked Smith-Schuster to the ground, who rose to his feet and chased Branch down.Branch and Smith-Schuster ended up rolling around on the ground, and Mahomes dove into the scrum as well. The altercation quickly spread to include multiple players on both teams, as several dozen Lions and Chiefs helmets converged near the middle of the field at Arrowhead Stadium.

Ari Meirov shared video of the incident on social media.

How the NFL might punish branch remains to be seen, and the league may not make the information public until next weekend. If the league fines Branch for fighting, the standard amount for a first offense is north of $40,000. The standard fine for a second offense is more than $80,000, per NFL.com.  The NFL typically makes fine amounts public on the Saturday following an incident.

Branch has an extensive history of financial punishment across his three-year career, which includes 13 fines totaling approximately $180,000 for an array of infractions stretching back to 2023.

Brian Branch Could Face NFL Suspension for Fight With Patrick Mahomes, Chiefs

However, things could actually get worse than that, as there is precedent for the NFL suspending players for starting fights.

The league office suspended former Dallas Cowboys defensive tackle Trysten Hill for two games in 2021 after he initiated a fight with the Las Vegas Raiders.

“Dallas Cowboys defensive tackle Trysten Hill has been suspended two games without pay by the NFL for his postgame punch in an altercation with Las Vegas Raiders offensive lineman John Simpson,” Grant Gordon of NFL Network wrote.

That incident occurred on Thanksgiving Day, which made it more high-profile than usual. But the fight between Branch and the Chiefs took place on a “Sunday Night Football” showcase and involved Mahomes, a quarterback and multiple-time MVP and Super Bowl champion.

And while the letter of league law won’t dictate that the NFL should come down any harder on Branch for his actions than it would in any other similar situation involving less high-profile players or game scenarios, all eyes are certain to be on the league office when it comes to the handling of Branch’s punishment.

Lions Secondary Can’t Afford to Lose Any More Talent After Multiple Injuries

The Lions are now 4-2 with a contest against the 5-1 Tampa Bay Buccaneers coming up on the October 20 edition of “Monday Night Football” before Detroit enters its bye week.

The Lions are already down two starting cornerbacks in D.J. Reed, who is on IR with a hamstring strain, and Terrion Arnold, who is out with a shoulder injury. It is unclear precisely when either player will return healthy, but it is safe to say that Detroit is already depleted in the secondary.

Should the Lions lose Branch, a 2024 Pro Bowler, that could meaning losing games, which could impact the team’s chances at a division title, winning the NFC and its potential playoff seeding heading into January.

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