The Three Keys for Bears to Stun the Rams
The Los Angeles Rams fell victim to the Super Bowl losers' jinx long ago, even though they shouldn't have been a participant.
Sean McVay no longer needs to prove what a genius he is. Right now the Rams are just scuffling to get by, just like the Bears.
They are prime for the taking, and last week the Pittsburgh Steelers took.
Yet, there is a myth being perpetrated this week about the Bears having provided the rest of the league with a blueprint for beating the Rams last year. They have been said to have ruined McVay's offense.
If scoring 48 points on the 49ers, 31 on the Cardinals, 30 on the Cowboys and then 26 in a victory/non-victory over the Saints is being ruined, then the Bears should be so lucky.
This isn't close to what happened. The Bears were the isolated incident, the extremely good defense with great personnel and a good plan, just like the Patriots in the Super Bowl.
Few teams had the defensive talent the Bears did last year to pull off such a game plan. The Bears gambled but confused Jared Goff. They could get away with it because they had Akiem Hicks providing a push in the center of the line and Khalil Mack cutting in off the edge.
Goff didn't have a chance.
Khalil Mack isn't there now. Danny Trevathan isn't in the middle setting up the defense and making plays.
The Rams are at home, and although they are shorthanded they are fighting for their playoff lives with a realistic shot still of making it as a wild card.
Only those with vivid imaginations can place the Bears in a playoff chase.
There are three keys for the Bears to pull off this upset, and achieving all three would be the most unlikely of circumstances given their current state.
1. Force Back the Line of Scrimmage
The Rams can run the stretch plays and zone schemes with double teams and bootleg passing like the Raiders did to overpower the Bears, and like other teams have done since. If they got Todd Gurley, Malcolm Brown and Darrell Henderson running with any consistency, then they open up the play-action passing game and this is their bread and butter. It's over then. To stop the stretch plays and zone scheme, the Bears need defensive linemen driving back blockers and then a linebacker in a gap making the tackle for loss. They can't let the chop block get Khalil Mack coming off the edge, and Eddie Goldman or Roy Robertson-Harris must hold their ground on the double team. Making the Rams one-dimensional is a huge step in limiting their offense to the kind of production they had in last year's game at Soldier Field.
2. It's Mitchell Trubisky Time
The Bears aren't going to win a game in L.A. by picking off Goff four times. They did it in Chicago last year. Sure, the Steelers came up with two last week. It's not likely to happen again, especially in L.A. If they're going to win this game Trubisky has to step up and produce 21 to 24 points in a road game against a Super Bowl team. It's that simple. They can't count on their defense shutting down the Rams to win another 15-6 game without Trevathan and Hicks.
Fortunately for Trubisky, the Rams defense is giving up yardage with over 331 yards allowed in four of their last six, including three more than 400 yards allowed. They just haven't allowed many points. Their secondary has been the culprit even if they have brought in Jalen Ramsey. The run defense remains strong at fifth in the league. So it has to be Trubisky doing the damage.
3. Lead
The Bears can't start slow again and expect to be in the game. They don't have the firepower to make a big comeback on the Rams without forcing the ball into covered areas. They need to come out early, grab a lead, and then protect it.
Running won't be easy because the Rams have held six of their nine opponents below 100 yards on the ground. And David Montgomery's injury compounds it. It's going to have to be Trubisky going out and getting a lead and making enough plays in the air to hang on.
The Line: Rams by 6 1/2
The Call: Rams 34, Bears 13
Elsewhere:
| The Line | The Pick |
|---|---|
Cowboys -4 1/2 at Lions | Cowboys 27, Lions 19 |
Saints -5 1/2 at Bucs | Saints 34, Bucs 30 |
Falcons +4 1/2 at Panthers | Panthers 27, Falcons 24 |
Jaguars +3 at Colts | Jaguars 20, Colts 17 |
Broncos +10 1/2 at Vikings | Vikings 31, Broncos 17 |
Jets +1 1/2 at Redskins | Jets 17, Redskins 14 |
Bills -6 at Dolphins | Bills 19, Dolphins 10 |
Texans +4 at Ravens | Texans 30, Ravens 27 |
Cardinals +10 at 49ers | 49ers 20, Cardinals 7 |
Patriots -3 1/2 at Eagles | |
Bengals +10 1/2 at Raiders | |
Chiefs -3 1/2 vs. Chargers | |
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