Matt Forte Injury Update: Chicago Bears RB Believed To Have Sprained MCL

After losing Jay Cutler to a potential season-ending injury just two weeks ago, the Chicago Bears probably feared the worst after seeing star RB Matt Forte leave the game in the loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. However, according to Sean Jensen of the Chicago Sun-Times, Forte appears to have avoided the crippling injury the reeling Bears feared:

Bears running back Matt Forte is believed to have suffered an MCL sprain in his right knee, according to a league source.

Forte, though, will require further testing for he and the Bears to have a full handle on the severity of his knee injury.

Following the 10-3 home loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, this bit of good news will be a boost to the Bears. Chicago has lost two straight since its victory over San Diego and dropped a 1/2 game behind the Detroit Lions in the race for a playoff spot. The offense has sputtered with Caleb Hanie replacing the injured Cutler, and any time that Forte may be forced to miss will be difficult to overcome. The Bears face a big challenge next week when they visit Denver.

Be sure to stay tuned to SB Nation Chicago and Windy City Gridiron, SB Nation's Chicago Bears Blog, for the latest updates on Forte and the Bears.

Chiefs Vs. Bears Final Score: Chicago Loses 10-3 After Weak Offensive Effort

The Chicago Bears' defense has never really been the problem this season, and things were no different on Sunday as the Bears were defeated 10-3 by the Kansas City Chiefs at home. Chicago's defense limited Kansas City to just ten points and 252 total yards, but it was only able to force one turnover and the offense couldn't muster much production after watching running back Matt Forte go down with an injury.

Chicago almost took the lead into halftime, but Kansas City scored a last-second touchdown on a hail mary to conclude the first half. That play seemed to take the wind out of Chicago's sails, as the offense stumbled through the entire game and the defense couldn't make enough big plays to change the course of the game. The Chiefs offense was pretty limited for most of the game, but the hail mary pass as time expired in the second quarter was enough to give Kansas City the victory.

It's another disappointing loss for the Bears, who move to 7-5 on the season after losing a second consecutive game with Caleb Hanie at quarterback. The team appeared to be establishing itself as one of the league's elite in the previous weeks, but Jay Cutler's possibly season-ending injury has essentially halted those aspirations. For now, the team is trying to win with defense, and that unit did its part on Sunday, but Chicago is going to have a tough time winning if it's only scoring three points. 

The Bears are still definitely in the playoff mix at 7-5, but they're going to have to win at least two, and probably three, of their final four games if they want to land a wild card spot.

For more updates, stay tuned to SB Nation Chicago. For more on the Bears, check out Windy City Gridiron. For more in-depth coverage of the Chiefs, visit Arrowhead Pride. For more from around the NFL, head over to SB Nation's NFL news hub.

Chiefs Vs. Bears Score Update: Chicago Trails 10-3 In Fourth Quarter

The Chicago Bears are trying to muster up some offense as they play the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, but they've struggled to get anything going and trail 10-3 in the fourth quarter. The Bears' defense continues to be dominant against Kansas City, limiting the Chiefs to just a field goal in the third quarter, but at this point the real problem is that the Bears trail by a touchdown and need points.

Bears quarterback Caleb Hanie has really struggled in his second start for Chicago, completing just 6 of 15 passes for 70 yards. He's also been sacked four times and thrown an interception, and has just one carry for three yards on the ground. Chicago's gained just 124 total yards on offense so far on Sunday, and only 32 passing due to the yards loss on sacks.

For more updates, stay tuned to SB Nation Chicago. For more on the Bears, check out Windy City Gridiron. For more in-depth coverage of the Chiefs, visit Arrowhead Pride. For more from around the NFL, head over to SB Nation's NFL news hub.

Chiefs Vs. Bears Score Update: Kansas City Leads 7-3 At Halftime After Last-Second Touchdown

It appeared that the Chicago Bears would get to halftime with the lead when the Kansas City Chiefs threw up a hail mary at the Bears' 38 with just two second left on the clock, but a stunning catch by Chiefs wide receiver Dexter McCluster on the play has Kansas City leading 7-3 at halftime.

It was a surprising conclusion to the game's first half, as a sputtering Chiefs offense came through big-time as the clock expired. The Bears had forced Kansas City into a third-and-10 from the 38 yard line, and the Chiefs opted to go for a hail mary rather than kick a long field goal. That decision looks downright brilliant now, after McCluster happened to be in the right place at the right time to come away with the score. We happen to have video of the score, too:

The Bears are still very much in the game, as the offense showed some signs of life in the second quarter while the defense continues to be exceptional. The 16-play, 87-yard drive that concluded the first half was really the only bad possession of the half by Chicago defense. With the offense struggling, though, the Bears may need to force some turnovers in the second half to put points on the board.

For more updates, stay tuned to SB Nation Chicago. For more on the Bears, check out Windy City Gridiron. For more in-depth coverage of the Chiefs, visit Arrowhead Pride. For more from around the NFL, head over to SB Nation's NFL news hub.

Kyle Orton Injury Update: Chiefs Bench Palko For New QB, He Gets Hurt On First Play

The Kansas City Chiefs struggled to really get things going against the Chicago Bears' defense in the first quarter, so they decided to bench starter Tyler Palko and bring in recent acquisition Kyle Orton to take the reins. It didn't last long, though, as Orton took a big shot from Bears safety Major Wright on his first play in a Chiefs uniform and immediately left the game.

The Chiefs have been seriously struggling on offense since losing starter Matt Cassel for the season, so they recently claimed Orton off waivers from the Denver Broncos. They've been continuing to work with Palko while Orton gets comfortable with a new offense, but apparently had seen enough of Palko to want to give Orton a shot. 

Orton took a major shot from Wright on a flea flicker, though, and was slow to leave the field afterwards. The Chiefs have since announced that he injured his finger on the play, and is questionable to return. For now, it's back to Palko for Kansas City as the scoreless game continues.

For more updates, stay tuned to SB Nation Chicago. For more on the Bears, check out Windy City Gridiron. For more in-depth coverage of the Chiefs, visit Arrowhead Pride. For more from around the NFL, head over to SB Nation's NFL news hub.

Chiefs Vs. Bears Score Update: Chicago, Kansas City Tied 0-0 After First Quarter

The first quarter of Sunday's game between the Chicago Bears and Kansas City Chiefs didn't include much offense, as the two teams are scoreless going into the game's second period. The two teams combined for just 66 yards of total offense, while the Bears failed to even get a first down.

It was a particularly brutal quarter for Chicago's offense, with the team covering just 20 total yards. In the midst of all of this, they lost star running back Matt Forte to injury, too, just furthering the issues of an already struggling unit. The Chiefs had a bit more success on offense in the first quarter, getting 37 yards rushing and 27 yards passing from Tyler Palko, but the Bears forced numerous mistakes. 

The big Chiefs mistake was on special teams, though, when Jalil Brown muffed a punt. The Bears recovered the ball in Chiefs territory, but were unable to move into Robbie Gould's field goal range. Chicago also sacked Palko twice in the first quarter.

For more updates, stay tuned to SB Nation Chicago. For more on the Bears, check out Windy City Gridiron. For more in-depth coverage of the Chiefs, visit Arrowhead Pride. For more from around the NFL, head over to SB Nation's NFL news hub.

Matt Forte Injury Update: Bears RB Sustains Knee Injury Against Kansas City

The Chicago Bears offense was already running on fumes with star quarterback Jay Cutler out, possibly for the season, and apparently when it rains, it pours. The Bears are facing the Kansas City Chiefs at Soldier Field today, and running back Matt Forte, arguably the most important player on the team at this point, just went down following a short run. Here's video of the play:

Chicago had second-and-7 on their own 8 when Forte went down. He was able to get up on his own after being tended to by the Bears medical staff, but the team has since announced that he'll miss the remainder of the game against Kansas City with a knee injury.

Forte had 12 yards on five carries before the injury. He'll presumably be replaced primarily by back-up Marion Barber, although third-stringer Kahlil Bell will likely get more playing now, as well.

For more updates, stay tuned to SB Nation Chicago. For more on the Bears, check out Windy City Gridiron. For more in-depth coverage of the Chiefs, visit Arrowhead Pride. For more from around the NFL, head over to SB Nation's NFL news hub.

Kansas City Chiefs Inactives: Chiefs Without Ricky Stanzi, David Mims Vs. Bears

All told, the Kansas City Chiefs are pretty healthy (Matt Cassell excepted). With Kyle Orton currently in the fold, the Chiefs have deactivated QB Ricky Stanzi for today's game, and will also be without tackle David Mims. Mims is the back up to LT Branden Albert, and if he goes down, the Chiefs will have to do some shuffling along the line.

Kansas City will also be without two back up defensive linemen and a few other back ups on defense. They will also be missing back up tight end Jake O'Connell. Here is the full inactive list for Week 13:

• DE Brandon Bair
• T David Mims
• TE Jake O'Connell
• DT Jerrel Powe
• QB Ricky Stanzi
• CB Donald Washington
• LB Demorrio Williams

For more updates, stay tuned to SB Nation Chicago. For more in-depth coverage of the Chiefs, visit Arrowhead Pride. For more from around the NFL, head over to SB Nation's NFL news hub.

Chicago Bears Inactives: Josh McCown, D.J. Moore Out For Chicago

The Chicago Bears will be without back up QB Josh McCown in Sunday's match up vs. the Kansas City Chiefs, meaning that the oft-maligned Caleb Hanie is likely to play the entire game, barring injury. Backing up Hanie will be Nathan Enderle, the rookie from Idaho.

The Bears will also be without back up linebacker Jabara Williams and nickel back D.J. Moore for Sunday's game. Moore will be replaced for the third straight game by CB Corey Graham. Here is the full injury report for Week 13:

• DT Anthony Adams
• QB Jay Cutler
• G Ricky Henry
• QB Josh McCown
• CB D.J. Moore
• TE Andre Smith
• LB Jabara Williams

For more updates, stay tuned to SB Nation Chicago. For more in-depth coverage of the Chiefs, visit Arrowhead Pride. For more from around the NFL, head over to SB Nation's NFL news hub.

Bears Vs. Chiefs: Tyler Palko Will Start, Orton May See Time, According To Reprt

Despite throwing six interceptions and no touchdowns in his two starts so far this year, Tyler Palko will start on Sunday for the Kansas City Chiefs, according to the Chicago Tribune's Brad Biggs. Biggs is also reporting that he expects that Kyle Orton will see time at some point, regardless of whether or not Palko struggles.

Orton was picked up two weeks ago by the Chiefs after he was released by the division rival Denver Broncos. Orton has yet to throw a pass for Kansas City, but with their playoff hopes fading fast with every loss, it's expected that they will turn to Orton sooner rather than later, even though his knowledge of the playbook and chemistry with the receivers is expected to be limited.

For more updates, stay tuned to SB Nation Chicago. For more in-depth coverage of the Chiefs, visit Arrowhead Pride. For more from around the NFL, head over to SB Nation's NFL news hub.

Matt Forte Fantasy Projection: Despite Struggles, Forte Still A Top Fantasy RB

November was a rough month for Chicago Bears' RB Matt Forte. He opened the month with a monster performance vs. the Philadelphia Eagles, but in his next three games he rushed for 64, 57 and 59 yards and only scored one touchdown. With starting quarterback Jay Cutler out for the foreseeable future, defenses are likely to load the box against Forte in an attempt to force Caleb Hanie to make plays to move the Bears offense.

That said, numberFire.com likes Forte's chances to have a bounce back game of sorts vs. the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday. They have him projected for 97 total yards, which would be his highest since Week 9, when he had 150 total yards vs. the Eagles. Despite his recent middling output, Forte remains a very solid fantasy play.

For more updates, stay tuned to SB Nation Chicago. For more in-depth coverage of the Chiefs, visit Arrowhead Pride. For more from around the NFL, head over to SB Nation's NFL news hub.

Caleb Hanie Fantasy Projection: Hanie A Questionable Start Vs. Chiefs

Though Caleb Hanie showed flashes of brilliance in the Chicago Bears' Week 12 loss to the Oakland Raiders, from a fantasy perspective his day was completely ruined by him throwing three interceptions. In Week 13, numberFire.com has Hanie projected as the No. 22 overall quarterback, which makes him solely a fringe play in deep two-quarterback leagues.

The Kansas City Chiefs passing game is in the upper half of the NFL, and they're coming off a game in which they held Ben Roethlisberger to only 193 yards passing. Hanie showed last week that he may have some potential down the road, but in Week 13 expect the Bears to lean heavily on Matt Forte and make sure above all that they don't put Hanie in a position to turn the ball over.

For more updates, stay tuned to SB Nation Chicago. For more in-depth coverage of the Chiefs, visit Arrowhead Pride. For more from around the NFL, head over to SB Nation's NFL news hub.

Kansas City Chiefs Injury Report, Week 13: OG Ryan Lilja, LB Demorrio Williams Questionable

A pair of players are questionable for the Kansas City Chiefs' game against the Chicago Bears on Sunday: offensive guard Ryan Lilja and linebacker Demorrio Williams. Lilja has been limited in practice since Wednesday with a head injury and Williams is battling a recurring groin injury, though he has been able to fully participate in practice the last two days.

The only other player on the injury report is center Casey Wiegmann, who is listed as probable with a finger injury. He was limited in Friday's practice. Wiegmann has started all 11 games for the Chiefs this season and has played in over 10,000 consecutive offensive snaps, a streak that dates back to the 2001 season. With Wiegmann apparently good to go, that streak should continue.

For more updates, stay tuned to SB Nation Chicago. For more in-depth coverage of the Chiefs, visit Arrowhead Pride. For more from around the NFL, head over to SB Nation's NFL news hub.

Chicago Bears Injury Report, Week 13: Charles Tillman, Devin Hester Cleared; Anthony Adams, D.J. Moore Questionable

The Chicago Bears (7-4), fresh off announcing their 4-year extension of Earl Bennett, have released their injury report for the Kansas City Chiefs game:

Out

QB Jay Cutler

Questionable

CB D.J. Moore
DT Anthony Adams

Cleared

CB Charles Tillman
CB Zachary Bowman
WR Devin Hester

Quarterback Caleb Hanie will get his second start with the Bears on Sunday as Jay Cutler continues to work back from thumb surgery. Cutler is not expected back until late in the regular season or possibly the postseason.

Top Bears cornerback Charles "Peanut" Tillman returned to full participation in Thursday's practice, coming back from a knee injury, and on Friday, the Bears removed Tillman from the injury report altogether, meaning he should be clear to play on Sunday. Tillman, who appears a strong candidate to make the Pro Bowl this year, has caused an astonishing 28 fumbles in his nine-year NFL career, including at least two in 2011 so far.

The secondary for the Bears appears healthier as a whole as Zach Bowman has also been removed from the injury report, and D.J. Moore has been upgraded to questionable after participating in practice on a limited basis this week.

The best news for the Bears offense comes with the removal of All-Pro kick returner Devin Hester from the injury report. Hester, was limited to mostly punt returns in the Bears' Week 12 loss to the Oakland Raiders, but following his improvements this week, he should once again resume his part-time role in the receiving corps and full-time kick return duties.

For more updates, stay tuned to SB Nation Chicago. For more in-depth coverage of the Chiefs, visit Arrowhead Pride. For more from around the NFL, head over to SB Nation's NFL news hub.

Chicago Bears Sign WR Earl Bennett To 4-Year Contract Extension

The Bears have extend 4th-year pro and quarterback Jay Cutler's favorite target, Earl Bennett.

Bears vs. Chiefs: Ways Mike Martz Can Help Caleb Hanie Succeed On Sunday

The Chicago Bears dropped to 7-4 after a 25-20 loss to the Oakland Raiders in Week 12, and much has been said about the play of backup quarterback Caleb Hanie. A feature piece on SB Nation Chicago earlier this week took a critical look at all the mistakes made by Hanie, the biggest of which were his certainly his interceptions:

With 6:32 remaining in the first quarter of a 3-0 game, 1st-and-15 at your own 14-yard line simply cannot devolve into a scrambling desperation pass thrown up for grabs and intercepted; however, it did on Sunday. With 1:32 remaining in the first quarter of a 6-0 game, 3rd-and-15 from the opponents' 43-yard line should never be marked by an interception on an ill-advised touch pass attempting beat zone coverage on a seam route; regrettably, it was on Sunday.  With 0:30 remaining in the second quarter of a 9-7 game, 2nd-and-1 from the opponents' 6-yard line can, under no circumstances, feature a careless lollipop throw into coverage on a designed throwback play that yields an interception and a 73-yard return; against all odds, it did on Sunday.    

Matt Bowen of the National Football Post decided to take a closer look at what Bears' offensive coordinator Mike Martz can to do help Hanie in the Week 13 matchup with the Kansas City Chiefs. According to Bowen, there are three things Martz can do: (1) win on early down and distance situations, (2) use the tight end and (3) employ situational play action. Here is a bit of what Bowen added with respect to his third point:

Take a shot to the end zone with WR Johnny Knox and test out the Chiefs' CBs if they want to play press-man. Or, bring you Tank personnel on the field (1 WR, 2 TE, 2 RB) and work the FB to the flat for a quick 10-yards or target Davis on the 7 (corner) route off of run action. Again, this is all based on establishing the running game early and forcing the Chiefs to consistently play with an eight-man front. But when you do that, opportunities will open up for Hanie to make some throws and move this offense down the field.    

via National Football Post.

Stay tuned to SB Nation Chicago for more information, and for in-depth analysis on the Chicago Bears be sure to visit Windy City Gridiron. Visit SB Nation NFL for more news and notes around the league.

Kansas City Chiefs Injury Report, Week 13: Casey Wiegmann, Ryan Lilja Limited

Kansas City's Thursday injury report is brief but includes a couple of offensive line starters: guard Ryan Lilja was limited in practice with a head injury and center Casey Wiegmann was limited with a finger issue. Wiegmann was a new addition to the injury report on Thursday.

The only other player listed is linebacker Demorrio Williams, who fully participated despite a groin ailment.

SBN's Chiefs blog, Arrowhead Pride, mentioned that quarterback Ricky Stanzi may be dealing with something minor, though he was not listed in the official report:

Not appearing on the injury report is Ricky Stanzi but I heard Mitch Holthus say on 810 WHB Wednesday night that Stanzi is "fighting some injury issues a little bit." 610's Nick Wright reported last week it was an ankle injury but apparently not a big injury if he wasn't listed.

All of the players listed on the injury report appear to be on track to play against the Bears.

For more updates, stay tuned to SB Nation Chicago. For more in-depth coverage of the Chiefs, visit Arrowhead Pride. For more from around the NFL, head over to SB Nation's NFL news hub.

Chicago Bears Injury Report, Week 13: CB Charles Tillman Returns To Practice

The Chicago Bears have released their injury report for Thursday, and there is encouraging news on cornerback Charles Tillman, who fully participated in the day's practice after being held out on Wednesday with a knee injury.

Wide receiver Devin Hester was only able to participate in part of the practice session, but this was for personal reasons and was not injury related. Lovie Smith said Hester finished strong:

"He missed part of practice and was able to finish up practice," Smith said. "He was tending to a personal matter before or during the early part, then finished up strong at practice."

Hester attended the court case of the man who slapped him at a casino in October.

Elsewhere on the injury front, cornerback Zackary Bowman fully participated in practice, cornerback D.J. Moore was limited and defensive tackle Anthony Adams did not participate.

For more updates, stay tuned to SB Nation Chicago. For more in-depth coverage of the Bears, visit Windy City Gridiron. For more from around the NFL, head over to SB Nation's NFL news hub.

Chicago Bears Injury Report, Week 13: Charles Tillman Misses Wednesday Practice

The Chicago Bears face the Kansas Chiefs this weekend as they hope to rebound from a frustrating loss against the Oakland Raiders last week, and they'll be doing so with quarterback Caleb Hanie at the helm once again. Hanie struggled initially last week while replacing incumbent Jay Cutler, who may miss the remainder of the season with a thumb injury, but he showed some signs of potential and made an impressive 81-yard touchdown pass to Johnnie Knox late in the game.

Hanie playing in Cutler's place will once again be the big injury story of the week for the Bears, but it's worth noting that starting cornerback Charles Tillman failed to practice with the team on Wednesday. The full injury report can be found here, but it's not particularly long. Cutler is out this week, obviously, and Tillman didn't participate. The other two names listed are cornerbacks D.J. Moore and Zachary Bowman, who were both limited in practice this week. Moore didn't play last week, but should be able to return against Kansas City this weekend.

For more updates, stay tuned to SB Nation Chicago. For more in-depth coverage of the Bears, visit Windy City Gridiron. For more from around the NFL, head over to SB Nation's NFL news hub.

Kansas City Chiefs Injury Report, Week 13: Two Players Listed As Limited In Wednesday Practices

Going into this week's game against the Chicago Bears, the Kansas City Chiefs have a pretty empty injury report. This is both a reflection of good news, that nobody currently active is seriously injured, and bad news, that the team has had players that suffered such serious injuries that they needed to be placed on the injured reserve. Quarterback Matt Cassel recently joined fellow stars Jamaal Charles and Eric Berry there, leaving the Chiefs seriously undermanned at three critical positions.

For now, it's unclear whether the Chiefs will be going with Tyler Palko, the team's recent starter, or Kyle Orton, the team's recent acquisition, at quarterback, but the Bears defense has to be licking its lips at the chance to face an offense that lacks chemistry. Kansas City's full injury report can be found here, but it's pretty simple: linebacker Demorrio Williams and offensive guard Ryan Lilja were limited in practice on Wednesday, the only two players listed on the report.

Williams has been dealing with a groin injury for a while, but there's a chance that he'll be able to get back on the field for Kansas City this week.

For more updates, stay tuned to SB Nation Chicago. For more in-depth coverage of the Bears, visit Windy City Gridiron. For more from around the NFL, head over to SB Nation's NFL news hub.

Jay Cutler Injury Update: Bears QB Says Injury Could End His Season

When it was announced by the Chicago Bears that star quarterback Jay Cutler had injured his thumb and the issue would require surgery, the team added that it was optimistic that Cutler would return by the end of the season. The feelings around the situation were especially positive regarding the quarterback's chances of returning for the playoffs.

Not so fast, though, according to Cutler himself, who told reporters today that he's uncertain about the timetable for his recovery and it's possible that he could miss the remainder of the 2011 season. Cutler said that he didn't want fans to get too excited, because the odds that he returns for the regular season are near zero, although the chances that he returns for the playoffs are slightly higher. The National Football Post gathered some of Cutler's quotes from Wednesday.

Obviously, I’d want to play next week if they’d let me but I don’t think that’s going to be in the cards,” Cutler said. “It could be I’m done for the season. I just have to be smart about it and realize that there is a long-term picture.

While the Bears certainly need Cutler's services this season, the quarterback recognizes that pushing things wouldn't be prudent given the potential that both he and the team have going forward.

I want to play in Denver, I want to play this week, I want to play in the Seattle game. But at the same time, this is only my sixth year, hopefully I'll have a lot of football left in Chicago. So I want to be smart about this.

For now, it appears that Chicago will continue with Caleb Hanie as the team's starter and Josh McCown as his back-up. Hanie struggled in the first half of last week's game against the Oakland Raiders, but did show some signs of improvement as the game progressed.

For more updates, stay tuned to SB Nation Chicago. For more in-depth coverage of the Bears, visit Windy City Gridiron. For more from around the NFL, head over to SB Nation's NFL news hub.

Kyle Orton Update: Orton, Tyler Palko To Split Reps In Practice

With the Kansas City Chiefs trying desperately to stay in the AFC West race, many expect them to turn to new QB Kyle Orton sooner rather than later, and potentially on Sunday vs. the Chicago Bears on Sunday. According to the Chicago Tribune's Brad Biggs, Chiefs head coach Todd Haley said today that current starting QB Tyler Palko will get 60% of the reps in practice on Wednesday, with Orton receiving the other 40%.

Though the Chiefs are clearly apprehensive about playing Orton so soon without him having a full grasp of the playbook, Palko may be forcing their hand. The ex-Pittsburgh Panther has thrown no touchdowns and six interceptions in his two starts since Matt Cassell went out for the season.

For more updates, stay tuned to SB Nation Chicago. For more in-depth coverage of the Bears, visit Windy City Gridiron. For more from around the NFL, head over to SB Nation's NFL news hub.

Bears Vs. Chiefs: QB Kyle Orton Could Start For Kansas City

Ex-Bear Kyle Orton could start for Kansas City this week.