At first glance, the recipient of this week's Game Ball would probably seem obvious... RB Matt Forte had the best statistical day of his Chicago Bears career as he pounded the Carolina Panthers defense for the second year in a row.
But looking deeper, is anyone else more deserving? Particularly, should Mike Martz or any/all of the offensive line be considered?
After all, Martz did get off the bus running this past Sunday, and stayed with that game plan throughout the day. But his play-calling looked to be just as creative as it was in Week 1 against the Falcons, when he kept the defense on their toes and constantly guessing incorrectly. When the Martzfense is firing on all cylinders, it can be very dangerous, whether on the ground or through the air.
But, we also know that for the Martzfense to work, the offensive line has to do their job, or the entire thing goes up in flames. Jay Cutler gets hit, the RB gets tackled behind the line of scrimmage, and the wide receivers don't have a chance to complete their routes. And this past Sunday, the OL absolutely did their jobs.
We saw times when they simply drove the defender straight back, and times when they were pulling and leading the charge down-field. The offense worked because the OL did their jobs well.
So, we'll leave this week's Game Ball in your hands. Vote now.