Rams-Bears Game Previews

[RamBill]

Early preview: Rams vs. Bears
• By Joe Lyons

http://www.stltoday.com/sports/foot...cle_6fb5bb28-6f7f-54be-9846-35790af9f03a.html

COMING THIS WEEK

The Rams, who fell 21-18 in overtime to the Vikings in Minnesota on Sunday, will look to bounce back and make it three home wins in succession Sunday when they host the Chicago Bears at noon at the Edward Jones Dome. The Rams are 4-4 while Chicago improved to 3-5 with a victory Monday night over the Chargers in San Diego.

PLAYER TO WATCH

Quarterback Jay Cutler. One of the more gifted — and enigmatic — quarterbacks in the league, the 32-year-old Cutler is known for his big arm and his questionable decision-making. A 10th-year pro out of Vanderbilt, Cutler was selected by Denver with the 11th pick of the draft in 2006. He spent three seasons with the Broncos, earning a trip to the Pro Bowl after throwing for an AFC-leading 4,526 yards in 2008. The next spring, he was traded to Chicago.

Cutler, who led the league with 24 turnovers a year ago, entered Monday’s game completing 61.8 percent of his passes for 1,442 yards with eight touchdowns and four interceptions. At Kansas City on Oct. 11, Cutler tied Jim McMahon for most quarterback wins in franchise history.

HE SAID IT

“We have to find a better way to close out games and finish games with an attitude,’’ veteran Bears safety Antrel Rolle said. “That’s where we’re losing our edge.’’ Rolle, a three-time Pro Bowler in his 11th NFL season, was talking after Minnesota scored 10 points in the last five minutes to win 23-20 in a recent game in Chicago. The Bears are ninth in total defense, allowing 342.9 yards a game, but are 28th in scoring defense, allowing 28.9 points a game.

INJURIES

The Rams played Sunday’s game in Minnesota without four starters — defensive ends Chris Long (knee) and Robert Quinn (knee), safety T.J. McDonald (foot) and tackle Rob Havenstein (ankle). Rams coach Jeff Fisher is hopeful the quartet can return to practice at some point this week.Matt Forte, one of the game’s premier all-purpose backs, saw his streak of 52 consecutive starts end Monday because of a sprained right knee and is not likely to play against the Rams. Forte is responsible for 32 percent of the club’s offense this season. Wide receiver Eddie Royal (knee) also sat out Monday’s contest.

SERIES HISTORY

Chicago leads the series 52-36-3, but the teams have split the 12 meetings since the Rams moved from Los Angeles in 1995. In the teams’ most recent meeting, the Rams started and finished strong in a 42-21 win at home on Nov. 24, 2013, to snap a four-game Chicago winning streak. Tavon Austin’s 65-yard TD run ignited a 14-0 start for the Rams, who also scored the final 15 points of the game.

 

[RamBill]

NFL Now: Bears at Rams Preview

Marc Istook and Maurice Jones-Drew preview the Week 10 matchup between the Chicago Bears and St. Louis Rams.

Watch Rams-Bears Preview

 

[RamBill]

Prisco/Kirwan’s Preview: Bears at Rams

NFL analysts Pete Prisco and Pat Kirwan break down the keys for the Chicago Bears and St. Louis Rams ahead of Sunday’s Week 10 showdown in St. Louis. Both Kirwan and Prisco pick the Rams to win.

Watch Game Preview

 

[RamBill]

Game Notes for 11/15: Bears at Rams
Posted 3 hours ago

Matt SegalWeb Site Coordinator

View: http://www.stlouisrams.com/news-and-events/article-1/Game-Notes-for-1115-Bears-at-Rams/3c6a5771-fea6-4f22-a1a4-7c6ab744df6b

LINKS: FULL MEDIA RELEASE / GAMEDAY GUIDE

THE GAME
Who: Chicago Bears (3-5) at St. Louis Rams (4-4)
When: Sunday, Nov. 15 -- Noon CT
Where: Edward Jones Dome / St. Louis, Mo.

TELEVISION
Network: CBS
In St. Louis: KMOV-4
Talent: Andrew Catalon (pbp), Steve Beuerlein (analyst) and Steve Tasker (sidelines)

RADIO
Network: Rams Radio Network
In St. Louis: WXOS-101.1 FM
Talent: Steve Savard (pbp), D’Marco Farr (analyst) and Will Witherspoon (sidelines)

WATCH ON-LINE
NFL.com/GamePass

DIGITAL MEDIA
StLouisRams.com
Facebook.com/Rams
Instagram: @StLouisRams
Twitter: @StLouisRams, @MylesASimmons and @DaniKlup

RAMS INFORMATION
Season Schedule
Season Statistics
NFL Standings
Team Roster
Depth Chart
Coaching Staff
Injury Report
Media Guide

THE LAST GAME
Score: Minnesota Vikings 21, St. Louis Rams 18 (OT)
Date: Sunday, Nov. 8
Location: TCF Bank Stadium / Minneapolis, Minn.
“Five Takeaways” from Myles Simmons

SERIES NOTES
Regular Season: Chicago leads 51-35-3
Last Meeting: Rams 42, Bears 21 / Nov. 24, 2013 in St. Louis, Mo.

DID YOU KNOW?
The Rams recently signed veteran wide receiver Wes Welker. The five-time Pro Bowl selection has played for San Diego (2004), Miami (2004-06), New England (2007-12) and Denver (2013-14). He owns 890 career catches for 9,822 yards and 50 touchdowns.

OPPONENT SNAPSHOT
Owner: Virginia Halas McCaskey
President: Ted Phillips
General Manager: Ryan Pace
Head Coach: John Fox
Team Founded: 1919
Super Bowl Titles: 1 (1985)
Playoff Appearances: 26
2014 Record: 5-11
2014 Playoffs: None

FORMER BEARS IN ST. LOUIS
Head Coach Jeff Fisher was drafted by the Bears in 1981 and played five seasons in Chicago.
Assistant Head Coach Dave McGinnis coached Chicago's linebackers from 1986-95.
Assistant Head Coach/Offense Rob Boras held the same position with the Bears from 2004-09.
Assistant Defensive Line Coach Clyde Simmons played for the Bears from 1999-2000.
Quality Control/Defensive Coach Dennard Wilson was a scout for the Bears for 2008-11.
National Scout Ted Monago worked in the Bears personnel department for 12 seasons.

FORMER RAMS IN CHICAGO
Assistant Special Teams Coach Derius Swinton held the same position with the Rams from 2009-11.

RAMS WITH ILLINOIS TIES
Assistant Head Coach/Offense Rob Boras is from Glen Ellyn, Ill., and was the head coach at Benedictine University.

BEARS WITH MISSOURI TIES
DL Ziggy Hood played at the University of Missouri.

 

[RamBill]

Kyle Long says it's 'no fun' playing against brother Chris
By Jeff Dickerson

http://espn.go.com/blog/chicago-bea...says-its-no-fun-playing-against-brother-chris

LAKE FOREST, Ill. – The sibling rivalry storyline is on hold.

St. Louis Rams coach Jeff Fisher all but confirmed on Wednesday that defensive end Chris Long is scheduled to miss another week to a knee injury, depriving Chicago Bears right tackle Kyle Long of the opportunity to line up directly across the field from his older brother on Sunday at the Edward Jones Dome.

“Nobody wants to have any family member dealing with injury or anything, but I wouldn’t wish playing against your sibling on anybody. It’s not any fun,” Kyle said.

Kyle, the youngest of Hall of Famer Howie Long's three children, speaks from experience.

During Kyle Long’s rookie season in 2013, the two-time Pro Bowl tackle picked up a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for tackling and kicking Rams defensive end Williams Hayes after the whistle. A scuffle between the two teams ensued and Chris Long had to rush off the St. Louis sideline to pull his younger brother out of the fray. The Bears lost the game 42-21.

“I was fired up as a rookie on the road,” Long said. “I bought in to the whole thing that week about playing against my brother and my brother's team. I think it cost me. In the end I think it was $32,000 [fine], I’m not sure, something around there. You know it’s a football game. There’s no reason to make it bigger than that. It’s a big football game for both of us. We have to go on the road and go against one of the toughest defenses in the NFL. That’s a challenge for us.”

Chris Long and Kyle Long
It doesn't appear that the Rams' Chris Long and the Bears' Kyle Long will have a family reunion during the game at the Edward Jones Dome on Sunday, as Chris Long is still out with a knee injury.
Long still suffers from the occasional outburst. On Monday, he received a personal foul in Chicago’s Week 9 win at San Diego for using inappropriate language toward an official. But as a football player, Kyle has improved exponentially in two-plus NFL seasons.

“If you’re looking at the “What have you done for me lately,” I don’t know if I’ve overcome my inability to control myself at times,” Long said with a grin. “But in terms of a football player, absolutely, I’ve grown. I’d probably say I keep my mouth shut and just play a lot more.”

Fisher is impressed with Long’s transition to right tackle after a successful stint at right guard.

“He’s done a great job,” Fisher said. “I talk to Chris — we talk about him all the time. Chris is really proud of him, really excited for him. Not an easy transition, but he’s very athletic. He’s physical. He handles every matchup, the week-to-week matchups. I’m a little disappointed that we weren’t talking about Chris and Kyle here this week. I think Chris is going to miss it by a couple of weeks. But I think Kyle has done a great job with the transition. They’ve done a great job coaching him. He’s a physical player, and obviously they like to run behind him.”

 

[BriansRams]

"Bears fans always travel well, particularly to destinations as close as St. Louis. And with the Rams future in St. Louis still cloudy and fan resentment growing toward owner Stan Kroenke, it would not be a shock if Bears fans trump Rams fans in both numbers and noise."

Great. Wonderful. (rolls eyes)

 

[ohiorams]

Bears Alshon J may be hampered

 

[RamBill]

Former Rams OC candidate Adam Gase impressing Jeff Fisher
By Nick Wagoner

http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-ra...oc-candidate-adam-gase-impressing-jeff-fisher

EARTH CITY, Mo. -- Before ultimately opting to go with in-house option Frank Cignetti as his new offensive coordinator, St. Louis Rams coach Jeff Fisher had a few phone conversations with Chicago Bears offensive coordinator Adam Gase.

Gase was one of last year's top coaching candidates, earning a variety of interviews for head-coaching jobs and coordinator positions around the league. He very nearly landed the head-coaching job in San Francisco and was considered for other head jobs in Atlanta and even Chicago. Ultimately, some teams believed that Gase wasn't quite ready to sit in the No. 1 chair and had questions as to whether his success in Denver was mostly due to Peyton Manning.

But Fisher saw through much of that and made it clear that if things reached a certain point, he'd be interested in talking to Gase further. As it turned out, Gase ended up sticking with John Fox and heading with him to Chicago to handle the coordinator job there. But not before Fox had some moments of concern that he might lose out on the 37-year-old.

“It’s like everything, whether it’s position players or staff members, both downstairs and upstairs," Fox said. "This league is about finding the best human talent you can and then coaching them to be the best they can be every day. It’s competitive. I think it’s like that any time you’re trying to acquire quality people.”

Gase and the Bears will descend upon the Edward Jones Dome on Sunday afternoon as Chicago looks to get to 4-5 on the season. To do so, the Bears will need one of their best offensive performances of the season as they take on the Rams' No. 5 ranked defense. Chicago enters with the league's No. 22 offense, which doesn't sound like much but isn't bad considering they've been without quarterback Jay Cutler, receiver Alshon Jeffery and running back Matt Forte at various points this season.

Cutler, in particular, has benefited from Gase's presence. Along with quarterbacks coach Dowell Loggains, it's clear that Gase and Loggains have helped Cutler play some of his best football. In his seven games this season, Cutler is on pace to have the best passer rating of his career.

“Jay’s playing really good," Fisher said. "Adam Gase and Dowell Loggains have done a great job with him. His feet, everything in the pocket. He looks like a different guy. So, making good decisions. His numbers are good. They’re running the football well.”

Schematically, Gase has shown some versatility this year without Manning as his quarterback. He once helped scrap an entire offense and build it around Tim Tebow before working with Manning but now he has the Bears playing a more ball-control style than in years past. Chicago ranks fourth in the league in time of possession in part because of a need to keep its defense off the field.

“First of all, he’s an outstanding assistant," Fox said. "At the end of the day, these aren’t one-man shows. Your staff is a critical part of winning in this league. I’ve obviously known Adam, he’s not new to me by any stretch. He’s a bright, young coach. He’s a tireless worker and I think he’s done a tremendous job.”

Fisher said he sees elements of the Denver offense in what Chicago is doing now though the approach has been a little bit different. The Rams played Gase's Broncos last year in a game that the St. Louis defense dominated on its way to a win. In that game, Denver attempted just 10 running plays. That's almost certainly not going to happen Sunday.

“Well, he’s been in the I guess you could call it the Indy offense, that worked with Peyton," Fisher said. "He’s just got a good feel for it. They turn a lot over to the quarterback on the line of scrimmage. So, run-pass checks and then pass checks. Then, wherever he’s been, they’ve really been good on third down. We’re facing a team that’s well in the mid-40s from a conversion standpoint, so it’s going to be hard on our defense.”

 

[RamBill]

Can the Bears make in two in a row over the Rams?

ESPN's Mark Schlereth and Tedy Bruschi don't think so.....they both like the Rams to get the win over the Bears on Sunday.

Watch Schlereth and Bruschi Talk Rams-Bears

 

[DaveFan'51]

In the teams’ most recent meeting, the Rams started and finished strong in a 42-21 win at home on Nov. 24, 2013, to snap a four-game Chicago winning streak. Tavon Austin’s 65-yard TD run ignited a 14-0 start for the Rams, who also scored the final 15 points of the game.

I wouldn't mind a repeat of this^!! It's very possible!!:yess:

 

[RamzFanz]

Can the Bears make in two in a row over the Rams?

ESPN's Mark Schlereth and Tedy Bruschi don't think so.....they both like the Rams to get the win over the Bears on Sunday.

Watch Schlereth and Bruschi Talk Rams-Bears

So many things wrong with this title.

 

[Mojo Ram]

I'm getting this game locally on CBS, thanks in large part to the Arizona game being on Sunday night.
No shit streams this weekend. #win