The Bears rushed for 170 yards against the San Francisco 49ers, but it simply wasn't enough in a tough loss Sunday at Soldier Field.
It was clear from the get-go that the Bears were committed to their ground game, calling 39 designed runs against the Niners (and quarterback Jay Cutler added three scrambles).
"That's what we were trying to do - establish the run," Matt Forte said. "The run is important - you get time of possession, you're able to keep their offense off the field and you have to grind it out."
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The Bears made third-string running back Ka'Deem Carey active for Sunday's game and given he provides nothing on special teams, it was clear he was going to get some work on the ground.
Carey rushed the ball five times for 17 yards, seeing time on the field on the Bears' last two offensive drives in regulation, including a four-yard plunge into the endzone, the first touchdown of his NFL career.
"It felt so good, I'm not going to lie," Carey said after the game. "I was watching them run the ball and you're thinking, 'I want to get me some part of this, be part of this three-headed monster.'
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"You're anxious, so when they call your number, you're ready to go."
The Bears started out switching off between Matt Forte and Jeremy Langford on drives before putting Carey in during the second quarter.
After picking up his first rush, Carey was immediately flagged for holding on the next play, stalling a Bears drive shortly before halftime.
"I felt sick," Carey said. "But as a professional, you gotta shake it off. You gotta go back in there and make a play."
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Forte - who declared himself 100 percent after his knee injury - finished with 21 carries for 84 yards and a touchdown while also catching all five of his targets for 39 yards.
Jeremy Langford rushed 12 times for 59 yards and caught two passes for nine yards, but did drop a key third-down target early in the game.
"I could've had a chance to get that first down," Langford said. "You never know what can happen after that. There are plays after every game - win or lose - that are left on the field."