Behind Enemy Lines: 6 Questions with Rams Wire

The Bears will face the Rams in a rematch of last season’s defensive showdown. So we’re going Behind Enemy Lines to learn about the Rams.

The Chicago Bears (4-5) will face the Los Angeles Rams (5-4) in a prime-time rematch of last season’s defensive showdown.

The Bears broke their four-game losing streak with a divisional victory over the Detroit Lions in Week 10, and they’ll be looking to keep that momentum going against a Rams team that’s struggling on offense.

Before the game, we caught up with managing editor Cameron DaSilva of Rams Wire to get the scoop on the Bears’ Week 11 opponent.

Here are six questions with Rams Wire:

1. The Rams signed QB Jared Goff to a massive extension before the season, but he doesn’t appear to be living up to that contract. He’s had a string of bad performances against good teams. What’s going on with Goff?

A lot of the blame falls on the offensive line. It’s been one of the worst units in the NFL, and Goff is not a quarterback who can overcome poor play up front. He’s not exactly mobile, his pocket awareness is average at best, and he tries to do more with the ball than he should when he’d be better off just taking a sack. Even when he does get time, though, he’s throwing it inaccurately and missing open receivers. He just doesn’t have the confidence he had last season, and much of that is because of the constant pressure he’s been under.

2. Todd Gurley faced a lot of questions this offseason about the status of his left knee, where many wondered if he’d be as effective as he once was. Last week, Gurley had his most efficient game on the ground season the season opener. How have the Rams handled Gurley’s usage this season?

Put simply, not well. They’ve done a poor job managing his workload, as evidenced by him not even getting the ball once in the fourth quarter last week. They keep saying he’s not hurt and he isn’t on a pitch count, but he hasn’t carried the ball more than 18 times in a single game this season. He hasn’t been the player he was the last two years, especially as a receiver, and it’s held the Rams offense back. He needs to be involved more on offense.

3. In the first two years of Sean McVay’s tenure, the offensive line was successful. They were a big part of the Rams’ Super Bowl run. But this season, that hasn’t been the case. They’ve done a poor job of protecting Goff, allowing four sacks last week against the Steelers. What’s wrong with the offensive line?

Injuries and a lack of experience are the primary factors. On Sunday, they’ll have just one player on the offensive line who also started Week 1 (Andrew Whitworth). There will be three players making their first starts of the season at their respective positions, which could lead to a disaster at the Coliseum. This is one of the worst offensive lines in the league, and it’s a big reason for the Rams’ regression.

4. When talking about this defense, the conversation begins and ends with All-Pro DT Aaron Donald. While Donald’s numbers have died off a bit compared to last season — he has six sacks and two forced fumbles in nine games — stats don’t tell the whole story. How have Donald and the Rams’ pass rush looked this season?

Really good. It’s been a bright spot of the defense, as they’ve gotten production out of Clay Matthews and Dante Fowler Jr. at outside linebacker. Donald is as good as he always is, but the fact that other defenders are stepping up certainly helps the defense in a big way. That trio of pass rushers is a handful for any offense.

5. The Rams traded for CB Jalen Ramsey to strengthen their secondary. Has Ramsey been worth the pair of first-round picks the Rams gave up for him? How has the secondary looked since he joined the team?

He’s been somewhat up-and-down so far, but the defense as a whole has been much better since he arrived. He allows them to play more man coverage and blitz more often, which leads to an aggressive style of defense. He’ll match up with Allen Robinson on Sunday night in what should be a good individual battle, and lining him across from No. 1 receivers is why the Rams paid up to acquire him. He was worth the cost, in my opinion.

6. What’s your prediction for the game?

I think the Bears are going to pull off the upset. Their defense has the ability to shut down the Rams, as we saw last season. And while Chicago’s offense is not very good, it’s good enough to win this game. Bears 20, Rams 17

4 bold predictions for Bears’ Week 11 matchup vs. Rams

The Bears will face the Rams in a rematch of last season’s defensive showdown, and we’ve got some bold predictions heading into the game.

The Chicago Bears (4-5) return to primetime in what’s become an important conference game against the Los Angeles Rams (5-4), where both struggling teams are looking for a win to keep in the NFC Wild Card playoff race.

The Bears broke their four-game losing streak with a divisional win over the Detroit Lions, which hopefully provides some momentum for the team heading into an important matchup.

Here are four bold predictions for the Bears’ Week 11 contest versus the Rams.

1. Khalil Mack outperforms Aaron Donald

Joe Robbins/Getty Images

Khalil Mack and Aaron Donald are two of the NFL’s best players, period. Just look at the money the Bears and Rams, respectively, have given to two players that have altered their franchises.

While Mack and Donald don’t play the same position, their job is simply to get after the quarterback. They’re both two play makers that can wreck a game at any moment. Both haven’t replicated their statistical outputs from a season ago, but they’re still dominant forces that require offenses to game-plan around them.

Mack, specifically, has been quiet since September, where he recorded 4.5 sacks and 4 forced fumbles after the first four games. Since then, Mack has had just one additional sack. While the defense’s recent struggles don’t all fall on him, this is one of those games where Mack needs to come out like the force he is and win this game for the Bears, adding a couple sacks of Jared Goff and forcing a fumble.

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Bears’ Mitchell Trubisky moves up three spots in Week 11 QB rankings

Bears QB Mitchell Trubisky’s encouraging performance against the Lions was enough for him to climb three spots in the NFL’s QB rankings.

While Chicago Bears quarterback Mitchell Trubisky still has plenty to prove, last week’s performance against the Detroit Lions was encouraging.

After completing 69% of his passes for 173 yards and three touchdowns for a passer rating of 131.0, Trubisky moved from 31st to 28th in NFL.com’s Week 11 QB rankings.

Not exactly where the Bears expected their quarterback would land this season, but any improvement is significant at this point.

The Bears snapped their four-game losing streak in a divisional 20-13 win over the Lions to improve to 4-5 on the season.

Here’s a snippet of what was said about Trubisky’s performance against the Lions:

Skeptics of the value of passer rating as a stat might want to take note of Trubisky’s day against the Lions, which he finished with the third-best mark of his career (131.0) while also leading an offense that produced seven three-and-outs, tied for the most by any team in any game this season. The degree of difficulty wasn’t exactly high for Trubisky against the Lions’ 28th-ranked pass defense.

In eight games this season, Trubisky has a 63.6% of his passes for 1,390 yards with eight touchdowns and three interceptions.

As for the rest of the NFC North, Aaron Rodgers ranks fifth, Matthew Stafford ranks sixth and Kirk Cousins ranks 11th.

Bears RB David Montgomery’s status for Week 11 in jeopardy

The Bears might be without starting RB David Montgomery against the Rams, as Montgomery nurses a rolled ankle injury.

As the Chicago Bears, who are clinging to their playoff lives, prepare for a do-or-die primetime matchup against the Los Angeles Rams, they might have to play without their starting running back.

Rookie David Montgomery was held out of Thursday’s practice after “lightly” rolling his ankle Wednesday.

Bears coach Matt Nagy remained mum on Montgomery’s status other than they’re going to take it day-by-day and make sure he’s good to go, should he play Sunday.

“I can’t say either way,” Nagy said, via the Sun-Times. “We’ll just kind of keep an eye on it as it goes here and see how it is [Thursday]. We’re working through [Thursday], and see how he goes.”

If Montgomery can’t go, Ryan Nall, who made his first career start last week against the Detroit Lions, would likely take over Montgomery’s role and get a bulk of the offensive load, along with Tarik Cohen. Nall played on special teams against the Lions, but he didn’t play a single offensive snap.

Chicago could also employ receiver Cordarrelle Patterson in the run game, as he’s been used as a power back at times this season.

Mike Davis would’ve been next in-line to replace Montgomery, but the Bears released Davis last week in order to better their odds at securing a fourth-round compensatory pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.

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Bears haven’t committed to attending Colin Kaepernick’s workout…yet

The NFL said that 11 teams have committed to attend Colin Kaepernick’s workout in Atlanta this Saturday. But the Bears aren’t among them.

The NFL has announced that 11 teams have committed to attend Colin Kaepernick’s workout in Atlanta this Saturday.

As the Bears search for stability at the quarterback position, you’d believe they were among those teams. But you’d be wrong.

Here’s the list of teams that will be in attendance, as of Thursday:

  • Cardinals
  • Falcons
  • Browns
  • Broncos
  • Lions
  • Dolphins
  • Patriots
  • Giants
  • Jets
  • Buccaneers
  • Redskins

Quarterback Mitchell Trubisky has struggled mightily in his third season in not just a mediocre offense, but a bad one. While the unit’s struggles don’t all fall on Trubisky, he’s a big point of contention.

While Trubisky will likely be on the Bears’ roster in 2020, Chicago is expected to bring in another quarterback, whether it’s a veteran like Andy Dalton or Marcus Mariota or a rookie in the NFL Draft, like Oklahoma’s Jalen Hurts or Georgia’s Jake Fromm.

Given the Bears are looking to improve at the quarterback position, they should do their due diligence in exploring every avenue, including Kaepernick. It’s just a workout. Not a commitment.

The Bears still have time before Saturday’s workout to change their minds.

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Bears injury report: David Montgomery misses Thursday’s practice with ankle injury

The Bears released their Thursday injury report ahead of a matchup against the Rams, and RB David Montgomery’s ankle injury is a concern.

As the Chicago Bears prepare for a pivotal NFC showdown against the Los Angeles Rams, there’s some concern about whether their starting running back will be ready for primetime.

Rookie David Montgomery popped up on the injury report Wednesday, where he was limited with an ankle injury. The fact that Montgomery missed Thursday’s practice is definitely concerning heading into a game where the offense really needs to establish the run game.

Coach Matt Nagy said Montgomery rolled his ankle during Wednesday’s practice.

Four other Bears players missed Thursday’s practice, including tight end Trey Burton (calf), linebacker Isaiah Irving (quad), linebacker Danny Trevathan (elbow) and newcomer to the injury report tight end Adam Shaheen (foot).

With Burton and Shaheen on the injury report, the Bears are thin at tight end, where Ben Braunecker and J.P. Holtz are currently the only healthy tight ends on the roster. Braunecker had success last week against the Detroit Lions, where he caught his first-career touchdown — a touchdown that jumpstarted three straight scoring drives.

Irving hasn’t practiced since before a Week 8 matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers, as he’s dealt with a quad injury sustained in that same game. His status will likely prompt linebacker James Vaughter’s promotion from the practice squad sometime this week.

There hasn’t been an update on Trevathan’s gruesome injury, and it’s no surprise that he didn’t participate in practice Thursday. Nick Kwiatkoski stepped in for Trevathan against the Lions, and the Bears will be looking for continued production from him.

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Bears WR Allen Robinson ready to face former teammate CB Jalen Ramsey in Week 11

Bears WR Allen Robinson has a tall task in front of him in Week 11: Facing former Jaguars teammate CB Jalen Ramsey.

When the Chicago Bears head to Los Angeles to face the Rams, receiver Allen Robinson will find himself locked in a battle with former Jacksonville Jaguars teammate cornerback Jalen Ramsey.

It’s safe to assume that Ramsey will cover Robinson exclusively, looking to take away quarterback Mitchell Trubisky’s top target. A challenge that Robinson welcomes.

‘‘It’s gonna be physical, it’s gonna be competitive, it’s gonna be fun,’’ Robinson said, via the Sun-Times. ‘‘I’m definitely looking forward to it. . . . I talk, he talks, so it’ll be fun.’’

In a season where the Bears offense has struggled immensely, Robinson has been the gear that has made the offense go. Robinson’s production this season — with 53 catches for 618 yards and three touchdowns — is already nearing his production from 2018. And there’s still seven games remaining.

Given Robinson’s success, it’s no wonder why nearly 27% of Chicago’s passes go Robinson’s way. In fact, no other wide receivers have neared 300 yards receiving or half his receptions.

Trubisky and the Bears’ offense will need to be aware of Ramsey’s presence, as he’s always a threat to make a play. While Robinson typically is Trubisky’s security blanket, it’s going to be much more difficult to get him the ball.

‘‘We expect him to match A-Rob,’’ Trubisky said of Ramsey. ‘‘Obviously, he’s in a new scheme, so I think he’s still getting used to that. But most of the time he’s matching, and he’s just gonna cover his guy and try and shut that down.’’

Robinson knows Ramsey well, and he expects nothing short of a physical battle.

‘‘At some of the catch points, he tries to be a little more physical,’’ Robinson said. ‘‘If you catch the ball on the sideline, you know he’s gonna be physical. There’s a lot you can expect in this game.’’

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Bears QB Mitchell Trubisky knows offense still has long way to go

Chicago’s win over the Lions was a step in the right direction, but QB Mitchell Trubisky knows that the offense still has a long way to go.

Last Sunday’s game against the Lions might’ve been exactly what Bears third-year quarterback Mitchell Trubisky needed to get on track after a season spent spiraling off it.

Trubisky was able to overcome a slow start against the Lions, something he wasn’t able to do in previous games against the Packers, Saints, Chargers and Eagles. He attributed that to staying calm and communicating on the sideline, where they were able to correct mistakes and go out and make plays.

While the Bears’ Week 10 win over the Lions was certainly a step in the right direction, Trubisky knows that the offense still has a long way to go before they’re where they want to be.

“We’re not exactly where we want to be yet, but a win definitely gives you confidence moving forward because at the end of the day, no matter what you did you came away with the result you wanted and that’s a win,” Trubisky said, via ChicagoBears.com. “We’ve still got to find ways to pull together, continue to work harder and get better and try to go 1-0 this week. That’s the focus and we’ve just got to continue to stick to that.”

It won’t be easy against a dominant Rams defense that held the Bears to just 15 points last season in Chicago — a game where Trubisky tossed three interceptions coming off a shoulder injury.

As Chicago prepares for a rematch against the Rams, Trubisky says the offense is focused on converting redzone opportunities into touchdowns, something they only managed to do once against the Rams in 2018.

But Trubisky and co. will have to do it against a defense led by defensive tackle Aaron Donald and cornerback Jalen Ramsey.

“They’ve got obviously really talented players in Donald and they do a lot of stuff up front with twists and getting pressure,” Trubisky said. “Last year they kind of zoned us out and tried to keep everything in front and kind of take away our big plays, so for us it’s just going to be being good on first and second down, trying to establish drives, stay on the field, and we’ve got to find ways to score points.”

“They did a good job of keeping us out of the end zone and made us settle for some field goals last year, so we’d like to find ways to punch it in and when we get into the red zone, finish drives. That’s going to be the focus. But we know we’re going against a talented defense and they’ve played a lot of tough games this year, as have we, so we’ve just got to find ways to make it happen and on game day execute better than they do.”

 

What does Matt Nagy have to say about Bears’ potential interest in Colin Kaepernick?

When discussing Colin Kaepernick’s potential landing spots, Chicago is a natural go-to considering their quarterback concerns.

Colin Kaepernick’s impending private workout has been a hot button of conversation, as all 32 NFL teams were sent invites for a Saturday workout in Atlanta.

Naturally, the Bears are a team being thrown around when discussing Kaepernick, as Chicago is looking to solidify the quarterback position.

When Matt Nagy was asked about whether the Bears would send someone to Atlanta to watch Kaepernick, he remained mum on any potential interest from the Bears.

“I honestly have no idea right now,” Nagy said, via NBC Sports Chicago. “I’m just kind of focused in on where we’re at. I’ll leave that up to Ryan [Pace] and those guys. I know they’ll have a handle on that.”

Kaepernick hasn’t played in the NFL for three years, but there’s no denying how dynamic he was as a player. Following the controversy that followed him over taking a knee during the national anthem, many are looking to see how things ultimately pan out for him, Nagy included.

“It’ll be interesting,” Nagy said. “He’s been out of the game a little bit but when he was doing well and playing he definitely was a weapon. I’ll be curious to see how he does. I have no idea. Again, for me, I wish him the best and all that and you always root good for people but from where I’m at right now personally we’re so focused in on the Rams.”

The Bears should do their due diligence at the most important — and in Chicago’s case, most frustrating — position by sending a scout to watch Kaepernick.

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Which quarterback are Bears targeting in latest 2020 NFL mock draft?

The Bears will be in the market for a quarterback this offseason, and they’ll likely turn to the 2020 NFL Draft for their next QB.

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The Chicago Bears will be looking to improve the quarterback position in 2020, and the NFL Draft would be a good place to start.

While you could argue the Bears are in win-now mode and can’t afford to start over with a young quarterback, free agency isn’t necessarily a cost-effective, production-guaranteed investment.

The Bears will likely turn to the 2020 NFL Draft for their next quarterback, which features a strong class rich with Day 2 talent.

In Draft Wire‘s latest three-round 2020 mock draft, they have the Bears using their first selection — No. 45 in the second round — on Oklahoma quarterback Jalen Hurts.

While Hurts has gotten some first-round love, it’s likely that he falls to Day 2, where the Bears will be waiting with a pair of second round picks. This season, Hurts is completing 73% of his passes for 2,742 yards and 24 touchdowns to just 4 interceptions.

Hurts is also producing on the ground, where he added 125 rushes for 869 yards and 15 touchdowns.

Hurts isn’t a quarterback that the Bears would insert immediately, which makes sense for 2020, where Mitchell Trubisky will likely still be on the roster potentially with a free agent addition.

The Bears have another pick in the second round just three picks later at No. 48 — which was acquired from the Oakland Raiders in the Khalil Mack trade — where Draft Wire has them going defense with Clemson cornerback A.J. Terrell.

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