Bears RB Matt Forte's touches limited by inconsistent offense, says Mike Tice

Following a game where he carried the ball just 15 times, Chicago Bears' running back Matt Forte's workload is set to increase in Week 9 according to offensive coordinator Mike Tice.

The veteran back has only been able to topple the 20-carry mark twice all season long, a situation that Tice blames directly on his team's inability to sustain long drives with the ball.

"When you're three-and-out, three-and-out, nobody is going to get a lot of touches," Tice told Jeff Dickerson of ESPNChicago.com. "No, I wasn't (happy with Forte's workload), but we can't have the ball 23 minutes."

Forte will take on a Tennessee defense that ranks 28th in the NFL in rushing yards allowed this weekend, and if Tice has his way, the Pro Bowl runner may just approach his biggest workload to-date. Even so, Tice still knows that his offense will need to hold the ball for a much longer period of time in order for Forte to get the chances he deserves.

"When you're in the 36-minute range you've got plays," he said. "When you have the ball for 23 minutes, I don't think anybody is going to come out saying they got enough touches."

Chicago's lack of consistency on offense has also taken a toll on the effectiveness of backup tailback Michael Bush as well. Bush carried the ball 12 times for two touchdowns in Week 1 with Forte on the field, but has been relegated to just 13 attempts with zero scores over his last three contests.