Tag: Chicago Bears vs. Los Angeles Rams

Bears have small package of plays prepared for Justin Fields vs. Rams

While Justin Fields won’t be starting, Bears fans could catch a glimpse of the rookie QB in his first NFL action against the Rams.

When the Chicago Bears kick off their 2021 season against the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday Night Football, it’ll be Andy Dalton leading the Bears offense. Much to the disappointment of many, who believe rookie Justin Fields did enough to earn the starting job in Week 1.

Still, the belief is Fields will see the field sooner rather than later when he takes over as starter at some point this season. But while Fields won’t get the start on Sunday night, Bears fans could still very well catch a glimpse of their rookie QB in his first NFL action against the Rams.

According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the Bears have a small package of plays prepared for Fields should Dalton struggle against the Rams.

“This is Andy Dalton’s team. He’s the starter,” Rapoport said. “However, based on what Justin Fields did in the preseason, based on his regimen, I am also told there is a small package of plays at Fields’ disposal. If Andy Dalton does great, you may not see it. If he struggles a little bit, do not be surprised if the Bears unveil a little bit of Justin Fields tonight.”

Earlier in the week, Rams head coach Sean McVay said his team was preparing the Bears to “utilize Justin Fields in some form or fashion” during Sunday’s opener.

While Fields’ NFL debut might not be in a starting capacity, rest assured the young rookie QB will soon get his time. But the opportunity to see Fields in a regular season game is certainly something that should have Bears fans excited.

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Bear Necessities: Bears offense will face early test from Rams defense

The Bears offense has a chance to set the tone for the 2021 season. But it won’t be easy against a dominant Rams defense.

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As the Chicago Bears gear up for the start of their 2021 season, there’s not a whole lot of confidence surrounding the team. A big part of that has to do with the uncertainty on offense, which is coming off back-to-back unimpressive outings under Matt Nagy.

Last season, the Bears tied for 22nd in scoring (23.3 PPG) and ranked 26th in total yards (331.4). While there have been some improvements on offense — starting with the quarterback position, where Chicago added Andy Dalton and Justin Fields —  there’s still plenty of questions about what this Bears offense will actually look like, as the starting unit never played together in full during preseason.

Chicago’s offense has a chance to set the tone for the 2021 season when they take the field on Sunday night against the Rams. It certainly won’t be easy against a Los Angeles defense that ranked first in the NFL last season, allowing the fewest points (18.5) and yards (281.9) in the league.

“It’s a really good defense and we’re going to face a lot of good defenses this year and that’s why you play this game,” Dalton said. “This is why you prepare and the way you prepare and you get ready for these games because they all mean a lot. This is going to be a good test to start the year.”

History tells us the Bears are in for a rough outing against the Rams, as the offense has struggled over the past three meetings, where they’ve scored just two touchdowns on 35 possessions.

If Chicago stands a chance of upsetting the Rams, their offense is going to need to rise to the occasion and sustain drives, something we didn’t see out of this unit last year. One of the areas of focus for offensive coordinator Bill Lazor is converting third downs, which the Bears ranked 31st in the NFL with a 34.6 percent conversion rate in 2020.

“I think when you look at some of the things we committed to improving from last year, I’ll put third downs at the top of the list,” Lazor said.

Bears’ 53-man roster, practice squad for Week 1 vs. Rams

Here’s a look at the Bears’ 55-man roster and 14-player practice squad heading into their Week 1 game vs. Rams.

The Chicago Bears kick off their 2021 season against the Los Angeles Rams, where the Bears will be looking to upset the Rams on Sunday Night Football.

NFL teams are allowed to elevate two practice squad players to the active roster the day before a scheduled game. The Bears activated linebacker Josh Woods and nose tackle Damion Square to the active roster on Saturday, which brings Chicago’s game-day roster to 55 players.

Here’s a look at the Bears’ 55-man roster and 14-player practice squad heading into their Week 1 game vs. Rams.

Bears vs. Rams: 5 things to watch in Week 1 matchup

From Andy Dalton’s debut to opportunities for players on defense, here are five things to watch as the Bears battle the Rams in Week 1.

The Chicago Bears will battle the Los Angeles Rams in prime time to kick off their 2021 season, where the Bears will be looking to pull off an upset of the favored Rams.

This matchup marks the fourth consecutive year these two teams will meet — the fourth straight on prime time, no less — where Chicago will need to play near-flawless football if they hope to make this a game.

From Andy Dalton’s debut to opportunities for players on defense, here are five things to watch in their Week 1 matchup — and a final prediction!

Bears NT Eddie Goldman ruled out vs. Rams

The Bears have ruled out Eddie Goldman vs. Rams, which means rookie Khyiris Tonga should see plenty of action.

The Chicago Bears will be without an important defensive starter when they take on the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday Night Football.

The Bears have officially ruled out nose tackle Eddie Goldman for Week 1. Goldman, who tweaked his knee during Monday’s practice, was listed as day-to-day by Matt Nagy. Goldman didn’t practice all week and was listed as doubtful vs. Rams.

Chicago has also elevated linebacker Josh Woods and defensive tackle Damion Square from the practice squad to the active roster. NFL teams are permitted to elevate up to two practice squad players to the active roster by 3 p.m. CT the day before their scheduled game, which gives them the opportunity to carry 55 players on their roster for game day.

With Goldman out, look for Bilal Nichols and seventh-round rookie Khyiris Tonga to split reps at nose tackle, where Tonga is likely to get the start with Nichols at defensive end.

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One analyst boldly predicts Justin Fields will lead Bears to comeback win vs. Rams

One NFL analyst’s bold prediction involves rookie Justin Fields leading the Bears to a comeback win vs. Rams on Sunday Night Football.

When the Chicago Bears take the field against the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday night, it’ll be quarterback Andy Dalton leading the team out despite many calling for rookie Justin Fields to start from the get-go.

But will Dalton finish the game? One NFL analyst doesn’t believe so.

A group of NFL.com analysts shared their bold predictions for Week 1 of the 2021 NFL season, and Marc Ross’ prediction will leave Bears fans quite happy. He believes Fields will relieve Dalton at halftime and lead Chicago to a comeback win over Los Angeles on Sunday Night Football.

Andy Dalton has the second-worst win percentage in prime-time games (.261) since 2000 — and those struggles continue Sunday night in Los Angeles. The veteran is benched at halftime after being shut out and mustering just 100 yards of total offense. In steps rookie sensation Justin Fields, who leads the Bears to a comeback win against a Rams defense that can’t overcome the offseason losses of Brandon Staley, John Johnson, Troy Hill and Michael Brockers. Fields’ debut includes one passing TD and another on the ground.

It’s certainly a bold claim that would leave most Bears fans happy, regardless of win or loss. But you figure 100 total yards of offense in one half should be plenty for Dalton to keep his job. Don’t forget, there was a time when Chicago’s offense mustered just 9 yards of offense in the first half against the Philadelphia Eagles in 2019. And no one was benched.

Granted, it also depends on just how short Dalton’s leash is heading into the opener. If Matt Nagy does indeed pull the trigger on inserting Fields into the game, it would only add fuel to the fire that Dalton only got the start because the Bears promised him that when they signed him in free agency.

Then again, this all becomes a moot point if Dalton shocks the football world and balls out against the Rams. Or, at the very least, doesn’t do enough to lose the starting job.

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One thing to watch for in each Bears defensive position group against the Rams

From Khyiris Tonga’s debut to inexperienced cornerbacks, here’s one thing to watch at every position group on the Bears defense vs. Rams.

The Chicago Bears will open the 2021 season against the Los Angeles Rams, where the Bears need their defense to step up if they stand a chance to upset the Rams on Sunday Night Football.

The Bears defense will face a challenge from the outset when they face a high-powered Rams offense that boasts new quarterback Matthew Stafford and a slew of weapons ranging from Robert Woods to Cooper Kupp to Tyler Higbee.

Here’s one thing to watch at each defensive position group for the Bears heading into their prime-time game against the Rams:

Keys for Bears offense vs. Rams in Week 1

As the Bears prepare for face the Rams, here’s what Chicago’s offense needs to do to get going against Los Angeles’ defense in Week 1.

The Chicago Bears will face the Los Angeles Rams to open the 2021 season, which marks the fourth consecutive year they’ve met on prime time. There’s not a lot of faith in the Bears to pull off an upset, but no game is unwinnable.

While the Bears defense has its own concerns at cornerback, the biggest question mark is once again how Chicago’s starting offense will look when it takes the field Sunday night. After all, we don’t really know what to expect, given the limited preseason action and how not all starters were playing.

As the Bears prepare for face the Rams, here’s what Chicago’s offense needs to do to get going against Los Angeles’ defense in Week 1.

Matt Nagy attempted to compare Aaron Donald to star basketball player, and Bears fans were confused

Bears HC Matt Nagy compared Rams DT Aaron Donald to a great scorer in basketball. But the execution of the comparison left people confused.

When the Chicago Bears open the season against the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday Night Football, they’ll have to contend with the best defensive player in the NFL in Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald.

No one needs to be told just how dominant Donald is, but Bears head coach Matt Nagy attempted to compare Donald to a great scorer in basketball, which left many people confused by the comparison.

It’s easy to see what Nagy was attempting to do here. He was acknowledging that Donald is going to make an impact — it’s just what he does — but it’s up to the Bears to contain him as much as they can. That much was understandable.

The perfect example of this is how the Bears dealt with Donald back in 2018, when then-rookie guard James Daniels held his own against Donald, who was held to two tackles, one quarterback hit and, most importantly, no sacks.

But Nagy’s execution of said comparison didn’t exactly translate, and Twitter had plenty to say about it.

Bears name team captains for Week 1 vs. Rams

Weekly captains are back! See which players from offense, defense and special teams will represent the Bears in Week 1 vs. Bears.

As the Chicago Bears gear up for the start of the 2021 season, there will once again be rotating weekly captains for each game, something head coach Matt Nagy established back in 2018.

There will be one captain from each phase — offense, defense and special teams — which will give different players an opportunity to represent their squad throughout the year.

For the Week 1 opener against the Los Angeles Rams, the team captains will be running back David Montgomery, linebacker Roquan Smith and safety DeAndre Houston-Carson.

All three of those players will be instrumental in the success of the Bears against the Rams on Sunday night. For Chicago’s offense to find rhythm, they need to get Montgomery going, something many will be keeping an eye on with Nagy back calling plays.

Smith is one of the leaders of that Bears defense, and he’ll be tasked with providing support in the run game and in coverage, where he proved to be a formidable force last season. Houston-Carson will need to show up on special teams, where the Bears had some concerns with coverage during the preseason.

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