Matt Forte

Chicago Bears running back Matt Forte sees the commitment to the handoff and can't help but come away impressed.

The only thing that would be better for him would be if he was talking about his own team instead of this week's opponent. The Bears will see a squad committed to the run when they host DeMarco Murray and the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday night.

"It's impressive to see," said Forte, who made it clear Monday he wants more carries.

Last week, he had just five for six yards, and the Bears (5-7) ran only eight times in a loss at Detroit that all but guaranteed they will miss the playoffs for the seventh time in eight years.

The Bears have been struggling all season in just about every phase, something they did not envision.

A team that ranked second in the NFL in scoring last season has taken a big step back in Year 2 under coach Marc Trestman, with the Bears failing to produce more than 28 points in a game.

Only three times this season has Forte attempted more than 19 rushes. In four games, he has finished with 13 or fewer. And the five carries against the Lions matched a career low he set against Arizona in 2009 and Kansas City in 2011, the story said. Fortunately, Forte is a big factor in the passing game. He has 78 catches and three TDs receiving this year and continues to be one of the better PPR running backs.