Matt Forte, who ran for 107 yards against the Jaguars in his last game, will be counted on to lead the Bears’ rushing attack against the Lions on Monday night. (US Presswire)

The way the Bears' offense figures it, the time of the year has come when the run takes off, even if this week's opponent has shown it can quickly shut down the ground game.

Detroit allowed Philadelphia's running backs only 26 yards on 19 carries last week while the Bears produced their first big running game against Jacksonville in their last game. So RB Matt Forte expects more of the same.

"They're solid," Forte said of Detroit. "As you see in the last game when they played Philly, they got constant penetration, and that kills the run game.

"So up front we're going to have to try to stop that," Forte said. "They did a lot of different run blitzes and things like that, so we're going to have to do play-action and stuff to try to calm that down. But it really starts up front with not allowing penetration."

Forte ran for 107 yards against Jacksonville and the Bears gained 214 on the ground. But they had been spotty until that point in the year as the offensive line hadn't yet formed until guard Chilo Rachal became a starter in Week 3. Forte had an early ankle injury and Michael Bush was feeling his way along.

The running game had similar starts in each of Mike Tice's first two years in Chicago as offensive line coach. Now as offensive coordinator, it's been the same. Last year, the Bears averaged 101.4 yards rushing in the first five weeks and 137.1 in the final 11. In 2010, they averaged 68.75 in the first four games and 111.75 in the final 12 games.

In each case, Tice set his offensive line, and then the running game took off. This year, they averaged 101 in the first four games. So they see the 214 as the start of a trend.

Forte's improved health is a big factor.  With 15 days between their last game and next, his ankle has healed.

"I was pretty much back to almost 100 [percent] ... against the Jaguars, but having off some days is always good for any injury," he said.

The Bears have been particularly effective running stretch plays or a play they call "XO," essentially a counter-trey type of run with linemen pulling to block. On both, the play goes outside.

The key?

"The blocking at the point of attack," Forte said. "We've got really good tight ends, and if they can get the block at the point of attack -- that allows me to get to the second and third level.

"Once I can get there, you have enough space to try to make somebody miss. And then that's when you get big plays."

Detroit has safety Louis Delmas back from a knee injury and has used him in run blitz situations to keep outside runs from forming.

"He's a downhill type of a safety," Forte said. "When he's coming, he's coming. That kind of scares some of the offensive coordinators from doing certain types of things. But when they're bringing safeties and things like that, we're going to have to recognize the protection and who's blitzing and pick everybody up."

Bears linemen see it as a matchup of a Lions' defensive line that has been improving right along with their own.

"You could see those guys obviously getting better," C Roberto Garza said. "A big part of what they're doing is finishing, playing through the whistle. So it's up to us to go out there and match their intensity."

That type of scenario could result in a very physical, rough game -- exactly like the last three Bears-Lions games.

"It's football -- it's supposed to be physical," Forte said. "Nobody is out there playing pattycake, so I mean, if somebody is going to be physical on the other side of the ball, obviously on your side of the ball you want to be physical right back."

Follow Bears reporter Gene Chamberlain on Twitter @CBSBears.