Chicago Bears vs Los Angeles Rams – Week 4 Game Preview: Overview, Keys to Game, Insights
The Bears (1-2) came up short against the Colts, losing 21-16 in Indianapolis last week. The defense continues to play well but the offense struggled yet again with several head-scratching play calls stalling a couple of promising drives. Now Chicago returns home to Soldier Field for a matchup with the Rams.
Los Angeles (1-2) has suffered horrible injury luck early in the season, losing several offensive lineman and star receivers Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua the first two weeks. They were 0-2 after an overtime loss in Detroit and a beatdown by the Cardinals in Arizona. Quarterback Matthew Stafford helped avoid a disastrous 0-3 start leading a 10-point comeback over the hated 49ers to win their home opener.
The Rams offense flows through Kyren Williams, the running back who had a breakout season in 2023 and scored three touchdowns against San Francisco. Stafford can still make things happen even without his two biggest targets at wide receiver if he gets time to throw.
LA’s defense is trying to cover for losing one of the greatest defensive lineman in NFL history, Aaron Donald. Donald retired at the end of 2023 and as he heads to the Hall of Fame, his former employer is trying to fill his shoes with several promising players including 2024 first round pick Jared Verse.
The Rams secondary has been a major liability the first three weeks of the season giving up numerous deep passes. This is an opportunity for Caleb Williams to continue to show signs of improvement. He registered over 300 yards passing against the Colts but three turnovers were very costly as the young QB continues to go through growing pains.
This is a winnable game for the Bears against a banged up opponent at home. They will need to tighten up the ship both with their play on the field as well as their preparation and coaching if they want to get the win in this one. They just aren’t good enough to get away with mistake prone, sloppy football. Let’s see if there are some signs of progress in the Windy City this weekend.
Where to Watch/Listen
- Sunday, September 29 at 12:00pm CT on FOX, WBBM Radio (English), and WRTO Radio (Spanish).
Keys to Victory
Here are my keys to Sunday’s game. If these things happen, the Bears should have a shot to win.
- Take deep shots on the Rams secondary. Marvin Harrison Jr., Jauan Jennings, and Jameson Williams have all had huge games at the wide receiver position against Los Angeles. D.J. Moore or Rome Odunze need to exploit the defensive backfield to get the offense into gear.
- Get pressure on Stafford. If he has time to throw the veteran quarterback will pick any opponent apart. The Bears need to take his time away so he doesn’t have an opportunity to find open receivers.
- Don’t get intimidated by Sean McVay. The Rams head coach is one of the absolute best in the NFL and to be kind, the Bears coaching staff has been uneven so far in 2024. Matt Eberflus and his staff just have to focus on their own game plan not trying to compete with McVay.
Don’t Tell Me the Odds
The Bears are three point favorites at home against the Rams this weekend. The Vegas oddsmakers expect a very tight defensive affair with an over/under set at 40.5.
It’s Football Weather
It’s going to be a pleasant afternoon at Soldier Field Sunday with a high of 73 and partly cloudy skies. There is expected to be a 15 mile per hour wind from the northeast that could have an impact.
My Prediction
Returning home should help the Bears and Williams should have some success passing against the Rams secondary. Los Angeles will struggle a bit to block and move the ball so I expect a low-scoring game. I think Chicago will take home a 20-17 home victory Sunday.
Official Bears Preview
