Rams Dominate in Every Phase to Deal Bears 24-10 Defeat
Put this one down alongside all those other miserable Bears trips to the west coast, like the 41-0 loss to the 49ers in 1987 or 49-3 in 2003.
Different west coast team, but it was the same kind of game.
The Bears were outsmarted early, then bull-dozed by the more physical Rams later Monday night in a 24-10 defeat that closely resembled their loss earlier at Soldier Field to the Indianapolis Colts.
“This is a game today where there’s not a whole lot to say in that locker room other than in these situations we’ve got to be able to show what type of resolve we have to bounce back from something like this," Bears coach Matt Nagy said.
Overall the Bears offense appeared helpless once again. The Bears couldn't run until it was too late. They had 20 yards rushing at halftime and David Montgomery eventually pulled in with 48 yards on 14 carries.
"We didn't play well offensively and it's tough," Bears quarterback Nick Foles said. "You go out there and you prepare all week, you want to go out there and give it your all.
"The Rams did a nice job on us tonight. They did a really nice job. They played really fast on defense and, you know, disrupted us."
They usually had time to throw despite the Rams pass rush with Aaron Donald, but the completions netted little passing yards and Nick Foles finished 28 of 40 for 261 yards with two interceptions.
"Ultimately I have to play better and help our team out in these situations," Foles said. "And we have to figure out how to run the ball effectively."
The inept offensive play started with a Germain Ifedi holding penalty and continued on until Foles' second interception of the game in the fourth quarter to Jalen Ramsey.
"We didn't play well offensively and it's tough," Foles said. "You go out there and you prepare all week, you want to go out there and give it your all.
"The Rams did a nice job on us tonight. They did a really nice job. They played really fast on defense and, you know, disrupted us."
Making matters worse, the Bears (5-2) lost starting center Cody Whitehair to injury in the closing minutes. Khalil Mack, who had a sack, and Jackson both left with injuries momentarily but returned to finish the game.
Nagy said none of those injuries appeared serious, although more will be known during the week.
The last chance for the Bears to win came in the third quarter after the Rams (5-2) had scored on Malcolm Brown's 1-yard run for a 17-3 lead. A pass interference penalty put them in scoring position and Foles threw to well-covered Darnell Mooney, but the tipped ball went for an interception to Trevor Rapp at the back of the end zone.
The Rams took that turnover, marched against a weary Bears defense and eventually put up the clinching 11-yard TD pass from Jared Goff to Gerald Everett.
"I think the biggest thing is throughout the season at times we've been able to make plays to help our team, to put us in position to either come back in games or win games," Foles said. "Tonight was not one of those examples."
The remainder of the game turned into a Bears exercise in offensive futility.
The only redeeming aspect of their two-day excursion west was an 8-yard fumble return in the fourth quarter by safety Eddie Jackson, the sixth return TD by Jackson in his career. Robert Quinn's hit on Robert Woods' jet sweep knocked it loose.
"We might bend but we won't break," Jackson said. "We're not going to fold. And I feel like as a defensive unit—which I love, don't feel—is it's been like that for a while.
"We won't give up, we're going to always play our game."
No doubt the Bears would have given up Jackson's first score of the season for a few more pass completions or some rushing yardage. Those were hard to come by against a stubborn Rams defense which was supported by a physical offense.
The only other points scored by the Bears came on a second-quarter 42-yard Cairo Santos field goal after the Rams had gone up 7-0 on Josh Reynolds' 4-yard TD catch from Goff.
Goff went 23 of 33 for 219 yards and two TDs and L.A. ran for 165 yards.
"There's some things we need to correct," Jackson said. "Twenty-four points, we never like people to score on us."
The loss drops the Bears to 5-2, the same record as the Rams, and put the Green Bay Packers in first place in the NFC North by half a game at 5-1.
"The season does continue on. It doesnt stop right now," Foles said.
It was the first Bears loss to a conference opponent and they return to Soldier Field Sunday to play the New Orleans Saints.
Twitter: BearDigest@BearsOnMaven
