St. Louis Rams Vs. Chicago Bears: Week 3 Prediction Roundup From Around The League

September 16, 2012; St. Louis, MO, USA; St. Louis Rams defensive end Chris Long (91) shakes hands with Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III (10) after a game at the Edward Jones Dome. The Rams defeated the Redskins 31-28. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-US PRESSWIRE

The Rams are getting slightly more attention this week from the national media, after showing the Week 1 battle against the Detroit Lions was not a fluke. The game should be an amazing battle between two of the better defenses in the league. The writer’s here at Ramblin’ Fan are split 2-2 on who will come out victorious on Sunday, but how do the rest of the analysts from around the league think the Rams will fare…

Sports Illistrated does not seem too confident in the Rams ability to pull off the upset, with 11 out of 12 analysting picking the Chicago Bears to win on Sunday at home. However, 9 out of 12 of them also picked the Carolina Panthers to upset the Giants on Thursday night, so it may be a blessing in disguise. Surprisingly, Peter King has picked the new-look Rams for the upset,

"The Rams led the Lions in the final minute at Ford Field. The Rams beat the Redskins at home in St. Louis. Something’s happening here. What it is ain’t exactly clear. There’s a coach with a plan over there, and before I ruin the good name of Buffalo Springfield, let me just say that I think Jeff Fisher and his staff are doing a heck of a job — and I think the Bears are in trouble with that offensive line and without Matt Forte. 23-20, Rams"

ESPN’s Mike Sando has finally given the rest of the NFC West some well deserved respect, picking all four teams to win for the second straight week in a row. I cannot tell if he had a harder time believing in the Rams or the Cardinals, but he has both with big upsets this weekend,

"The Rams aren’t supposed to win at Chicago because … because why again? Oh, because they’re not very good? Let’s see, they led at Detroit in the final seconds, and they defeated 1-0 Washington. I’ll trust Sam Bradford over Jay Cutler while manually overriding the alarm bells going off as I make this pick. Sando’s best guess: Rams 19, Bears 17"

SBNation’s Joel Thorman also has the Rams upsetting the Bears on the road, putting a lot of stake in the apparent chemistry problems between Jay Cutler and the offensive line,

"The Rams are good. I’m telling you. I’m hanging onto my preseason prediction that the Rams will surprise you and so far they are — four-point season opening loss to a tough Lions team and beating RGIII and the Redskins last weekend. The Rams’ upset tour continues this weekend against the Bears. And this is a huge upset. The Rams opened as 10-point ‘dogs.Teammates arguing publicly, like this Jay Cutler and J’Marcus Webb (and D.J. Moore!) thing, is never a good recipe, especially this early in the season. I like a healthy Steven Jackson to propel the Rams to their second win in a big upset.The pick: 28-24, Rams"

At Bleacher Report, 3 of the 5 “experts” are taking the Rams over the Bears. Most of the negatives against the Bears are dealing with the same Cutler drama in Chicago, while the positives for the Rams highlight the mismatch between Quinn and Webb, that will likely lead to a stressful day for Cutler in the backfield, Here are the best arguments for each,

"Sam Bradford and the Rams are coming off an emotional win at home over the incredibly talented RG3. And even though St. Louis hasn’t played well on the road the past few years, Coach Fisher has this group playing the best football they’ve played in years. Chris Long and Robert Quinn will force Jay Cutler into making those same boneheaded mistakes he made against the Packers in Week 2. Rams over BearsThe Rams have played incredibly tough the last few weeks, and the Bears are apparently close to imploding, but overall this team will pull together and overcome a solid defense, as well as stifle a Rams offense which just doesn’t have the protection to keep Sam Bradford upright. Bears over Rams"

Lastly, we received a prediction yesterday for the game from the Chicago Bears’ Fansided.com page, BearGogglesOn. Editor Mike Burzawa thinks that the Chicago defense will be able to phase Bradford more then Robert Quinn and Chris Long will effect Jay Cutler, leading to the Chicago win,

"The Rams are a lot tougher than I expected when I previewed this game in the preseason. Jeff Fisher is the perfect fit for a young group to get them to believe in themselves and play solid football. He’ll have his team well prepared and ready to play. That said, the Rams are still a team on the rise and the Bears are better. Cutler and the Bears offense bounce back after a tough loss to the Packers while the defense gets key turnovers to slow Sam Bradford and the Rams offense. Bears 27, Rams 19"