Bears vs. Rams: 3 keys for Chicago's defense in Week 4

The Chicago Bears are set to host the Los Angeles Rams at home this Sunday, setting the stage for both teams to attempt to come out of Week 4 with a stable 2-2 record. Though it’s true both clubs have only won one game, the state of each respective franchise couldn’t contrast more.

Chicago’s offense has largely been a disaster in the infancy of the 2024 year, while defense has met expectations and has become one of the league’s most stingy units. Meanwhile, the Rams have given up 91 points in just three contests, but their offense led by one-time Bears rival Matthew Stafford has overachieved and kept them in games.

Though the Bears are in an early season rut, Week 4 provides an opportunity to pull off an unlikely win. The Rams come to Chicago with an injury-riddled roster, with star receivers Puka Nakua, Cooper Kupp, and several other starters all being sidelined with differing ailments. LA has admirably maximized the skillsets of the players that are available, but the Bears clearly have a leg up in talent.

It’s a tale of two cities in the curious case of Chicago and Los Angeles, so let’s break down the home team’s elite defense can throttle the previously high-powered Rams. Let’s discuss the three keys for the Bears defense in Week 4.

1. Limit the Rams' deep passing game

The Rams have been decimated by the injury bug this season, most notably losing their two starting Pro Bowl receivers just three games into the year. LA has pulled every stop to ensure their passing game remains a threat, and that’s a testament to head coach Sean McVay’s brilliant offensive schemes and veteran quarterback Matthew Stafford’s ability to be versatile and play smart football despite pieces shifting around him. The Bears’ elite secondary will not dissuade the Rams from their tendency to take some shots down the field, so they’ll be challenged to stay disciplined in their coverages and not let a lapse in judgment result in a big play.

Among the Rams’ receiver room that’s without Kupp and Nakua, fourth-year wideout Tutu Atwell was Stafford’s favorite target in their win last week against their NFC West rival 49ers, totaling four catches for 93 yards. If that stat line is any indication, his calling card was intermediate to deep receptions that flipped field position for LA. Atwell is able to race down the seam and get behind safeties in the blink of an eye, so the Bears would do well to make him a focus in their coverage. He’s the only receiver to have the top-end speed and agility to stretch the defense, so Chicago can expect several throws in front of the sticks when it comes to the rest of the supporting cast. Even so, McVay is one of the NFL’s premier playcallers, and he has the rare ability to get the most out of average players. He’ll use his cunning to scheme the receivers open, so the defense needs to impose their will on their ill-equipped opponent.

2. Contain RB Kyren Williams

Workhorse running backs have been the defense’s kryptonite in the first quarter of the season. Tennessee's Tony Pollard drew first blood in Week 1 and All-Pro ball carrier Jonathan Taylor thrashed them in his effort to chew up clock last week for Indianapolis. In Taylor’s case, however, the defense did an admirable job of limiting his explosiveness most of the game, but a shred of daylight is all guys like Taylor need to get loose for big gains. That’s the caliber of running back Chicago will go head-to-head with this Sunday, as rising star Kyren Williams has quickly become the Rams’ most deadly offensive weapon. The front seven will be tasked with being more disruptive at the line of scrimmage, plugging running lanes, and ultimately halt any of Williams’ efforts to explode into the second level.

The Rams are not the classic, “line up in a heavy package and ram the ball down your throat” sort of team. They’re crafty in their approach to running the ball, incorporating motion and misdirection into their plays. We’ll get a good sense for the defense’s level of discipline in Week 4, as LA will pull all the stops in trying to shift defenders out of position and play without leverage. Head coach Matt Eberflus and defensive coordinator Eric Washington will play a vital role in their success as well, as they have to understand their opponent’s tendencies in certain situations and have them in the correct playcall. Williams is the engine that makes the Rams’ offense hum – the defense has to shut him down if the Bears are to get a win in Week 4.

3. Stay consistent despite offensive struggles

It’s a shame a defense as formidable as Chicago’s has to account for their malfunctioning offense, but that’s the reality of the 2024 Bears thus far. The last three weeks have shown us that the offense is going to hit some turbulence, meaning the defense’s mission is to ensure the game doesn’t get out of hand as the team works through its issues. The good news is they are more than capable of doing that: only the Colts were able to score more than 20 points against them this year. The bad news is even they get worn out and make mistakes eventually, and those errors are made late in games when the Bears need stops the most.

Although it is asking a lot, the defense needs to lift the offense’s head above water and keep the game close. Perhaps the offense can finally congeal into a productive unit that can put together scoring drives. Seeing as how that’s unlikely, however, Chicago’s defense will have to keep them within striking distance.

This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Bears vs. Rams: 3 keys for Chicago's defense in Week 4