Forte flashing old quickness

One of the welcome sights so far at training camp is of running back Matt Forte exploding through a hole.

''We're hoping and praying everything goes well,'' running backs coach Tim Spencer said Tuesday. ''But right now, he's pretty quick.''

After topping 1,200 rushing yards as a rookie, Forte managed just 929 last season, scoring only four total touchdowns. But Forte was slowed by injuries, didn't talk about them and endured them to play all 16 games.

''He tried to work through the injuries,'' Spencer said. ''We knew he wasn't 100 percent. I'm sure that's really frustrating.''

During the offseason, the Bears brought in veteran Chester Taylor, who topped 1,200 rushing yards in Minnesota during the 2006 season. Taylor and Matt Forte have been splitting reps in practices, and both have insisted they get along.

''What I say is, competition breeds success,'' Forte said. ''We're out there every day, doing our best to make each other better, for the team.''

His goal, he said, is to ''make something happen with [the ball], no matter how many times you get it.''

Spencer said it's a ''coach's dream'' to have two players like Matt Forte and Taylor.

''It's a good, healthy competition,'' he said. ''They both get along very well; that helps out, so there's no animosity between any of them. I'm liking it. I'm loving it.''

Because they're both so versatile, Spencer even hinted at something special: lining them up together in the backfield.

''We might even be able to get them in at the same time,'' Spencer said. ''You never know.''
Defense gets to Cutler

Jay Cutler is strictly off limits during practice, wearing a bright red jersey like all the quarterbacks.

But the defense seemed to annoy him on Tuesday.

Cutler had a solid day, completing seven passes in a row, including two to Johnny Knox and one to tight end Greg Olsen. But that was in seven-on-seven drills that don't include the defensive line.

When the defensive line was on the field, it got after him several times. At one point, defensive tackle Tommie Harris swatted the ball out of Cutler's hands as he ran by in front of him. Cutler picked up the ball and tossed it at Harris' feet.

Cutler made his share of plays, with his offensive line protecting him. But there was a stretch when Cutler would have been sacked on consecutive plays. Julius Peppers blew by Frank Omiyale on one play; then the entire defensive line collapsed the pocket, and Mark Anderson appeared to be in position to sack Cutler.

Cutler responded by chucking the ball toward the right sideline at the top of a large, white tent.

Asked if his quarterback was frustrated, coach Lovie Smith said, ''I don't know about frustrated. We have scholarship players on the other side of the ball, too. Jay's a good player. I'm really pleased with what he's done. But it's good competition.''

Peppers downplayed any frustration the quarterback should have. ''I don't know if we frustrated him because he's not getting hit, so he can't really feel it,'' Peppers said.
Iwuh injured

Brian Iwuh, a linebacker who signed as a free agent during the offseason, injured his knee during practice Tuesday. He was tended to by the training staff for several minutes before being carted off the field.

Smith confirmed Iwuh's injury, but he didn't provide an update.

''He's been active,'' Smith said of Iwuh, who showed potential as a special teamer. ''He's got instincts for a linebacker. He's not the biggest guy around, but he fits the mold of what we look for.''