Rams cannot take these Bears lightly, and here's how to avoid a trap game:

There is a lot of optimism with the LA Rams right now. After all, the distance between a team with a 1-2 record is huge compared to the alternative, an 0-3 record. And the Rams have played both NFC Championship competitors from last season. The Rams lost to the Detroit Lions in ovetime by a score of 26-20. And the Rams defeated the San Francisco 49ers after trailing them the entire game by as much as 14 points by a score of 27-24.

But this team was blown out of the water by the lowly Arizona Cardinals. So either the Rams are not as good as fans originally thought, the Cardinals are much better than anyone thought, or the Rams simply did not take their Week 2 game seriously enough.

And here we are, back on the road to face the Chicago Bears (1-2) on the road. The Bears opened the 2024 NFL season with a win over the Tennessee Titans. But they have lost games to the Houston Texans (at Houston) and to the Indianapolis Colts (at Indianapolis). So they are excited to return to the friendly confines of Soldier Field.

The Bears are a young team, particularly on offense. This is a team that averages 17.6 points per game and allows 19 points per game. The Rams, ironically, are a team that can score points, but will allow plenty of points to be scored too.

While the Rams have a legitimate shot to win in Week 4, this game is by no means a lock to the win column. In fact, the Rams would do well to approach this game as though they are an underdog. Regardless of how the oddsmakers view this game, they are in many ways.

Therein lies the rub. The Rams need a win in many ways. Not only does it restore the Rams to .500, but this is an important NFC contest that could play a significant role in NFL Playoff tiebreakers at season's end. And as we all recall, the Rams lost a winnable game at Lambeau Field in 2023 that had the potential to play havoc with the team's playoff berth.

So every game is vital.

How can the Rams avoid a Week 4 trap game? Here are some ways:

(5) - Rams are 0-2 on the road in 2024

First things first. The LA Rams are horrible on the road so far in 2024. If an NFL team is what their record says they are, the Rams are simply not good whenever they travel. Jumping out to two road games, the Rams lost both travel trips. And that is significant until this team figures out how to win on the road.

Teams that travel well are not necessarily great teams. They have simply mastered the rituals needed to win on the road. So far in 2024, this team has not. That's a problem.

Instead of 'problem,' let's label it as a challenge. Challenges are simply obstacles to overcome Right now, the Rams must overcome their on-the-road record of 0-2. It won't be easy. While the team will face the Chicago Bears on Soldier Field. the Bears are also just as desperate for a win. They have a very effective defense, and simply need their offense to get on track.

It always seems to me that it's easier for a great defense to hold on until a poor offense figures things out. The LA Rams have the opposite polarity. The offense must keep the team in the game until the defense figure out how to stop teams from scoring. The defense managed to do so in Week 3. Can they manage a similar feat in Week 4?

This is a young defense led by a new defensive coordinator. Players are still figuring out optimal ways to contribute, and the coaching staff is still working on placing players into the best posititon to succeed. In Week 4, both coaches and players must step up their game. While the Bears are not exactly offensive powerhouses, the Rams cannot take them lightly. This is a team that has won at home, and wants to win this one.

The Rams need to get an early lead, and then close out the game. This team can do so. The question is: Will the Rams do so?

(4) - Stafford coaching young WRs in real time

The LA Rams have a lot of talent in the wide receiver room. But right now, they are fielding receivers who haven't a lot of NFL experience in game situations. For a veteran quarterback like Matthew Stafford, he needs those receivers to be where they need to be at the precise moment that he needs them to be there.

But as smooth of an operator as Stafford appears to be in the pocket, he has a lot of work invested in his young receivers. And he is equally invested in helping out the offensive line in terms of calling protections as well. Need some examples? The official NFL social media account shared a number of video clips that illustrate what I mean:

On three separate occasions, Stafford:

• Coached young receiver Tyler Johnson to turn back inside when he is under pressure
• Cheered up and talked matters over with his offensive line
• Ensured to put the football back into WR Tutu Atwell's hands after a dropped pass.

As fans look on, these subtle little events are easy to overlook. But it was Stafford's willingness to ensure that his teammates stayed positive, focused, and determined that allowed the team to rally from a 14-point deficit to win the game.

The thing is, Matthew Stafford will need to deliver more of the same in Week 4. The Rams offense is no more potent this week. It's simply no further depleted. And so, the players who were coached up in Week 3 can carry those lessons and experience into a new week to face a new opponent.

The Rams, above all else, must protect their veteran QB in Week 4. If that means more 12-personnel, more running with the football, or a combination of the two, so be it. This team cannot win without Stafford right now. So, protecting him against the Chicago Bears has to be a priority.

(3) - Rams run defense remains unproven

The LA Rams rush defense was a weakness long before the season started. It was one of the areas that the roster never quite addressed effectively. The Rams tinkered with the defensive line in Week 3, with some effect, But this defense has a lot of things on the punch list to fix, and that's problematic for a team that struggles to defend the pass as well.

The team seemed to fare better in Week 3 after shoveling more defensive snaps to rookie DT Tyler Davis and DT Neville Gallimore. The team also started to move DT Kobie Turner back to his former nose tackle position with impressive results as well.

I won't sugarcoat this. The Rams' decision to entrust their inside linebacker positions to Troy Reeder and Christian Rozeboom was a mistake. Neither veteran has shown the wherewithal to handle the responsibility of diagnosing plays, knowing where to be, and stuffing the ball carrier in the hole. Instead, the two ILBs prefer to retreat to a safe distance of five yards off the line of scrimmage, plant their feet, and then move laterally to the ball carrier.

Oftentimes, they are drug two or three more yards downfield.

So far in 2024, ILB Troy Reeder has missed three tackles, and recorded one tackle for a loss. His teammate, Christian Rozeboom, has missed five tackles and failed to record a single tackle for a loss. Out of a total of 49 tackles between the pair, they have missed eight tackles (16.3 percent missed tackles) and gotten one tackle for a loss (just two percent).

It's time to give rookies Omar Speights and Elias Neal some playing time.

Could it be disastrous? Perhaps. But we know the ceiling of both Reeder and Rozeboom. And this defense simply needs much more from the defense than either veteran has shown so far. If the team is hesitant to roll both rookies in, Why not rotate Omar Speights in for a defensive series. Later in the game, the team can rotate Elias Neal into the game.

Refusing to play either Speights or Neal because they haven't demonstrated their ability is a self-fulfilling prophecy. They cannot get experience until given the chance to play. Let's rip the bandaid off and let the rookies play. Like playing rookie Beaux Limmer at center, or rolling with two tight ends on offense, I expect the results will exceed expectations.

(2) - Rams rushing offense is still sputtering

The Rams were much more effective at running the football in Week 3. But as far as the 2024 NFL season, this ground game is pretty hapless. After three weeks, the Rams rushing offense is ranked 29th out of 32 teams. So yes, there is a lot of improvement needed.

It's so bad that the Chicago Bears fans are celebrating a change at their featured running back position, and yet the Bears are only slight worse than the Rams ar running the football. So any 'perceived' advantage at running the football that fans may have looked forward to in Week 4 may simply turn out to be a mirage.

This offense has some work to do. In three games, RB Kyren Williams is averaging just 3.0 yards per carry. He has carried the football 54 times already. While he scored four rushing touchdowns in just three games, the Chicago Bears defense would be insane to ignore defending Williams in their game planning.

They'll be ready for Williams.

At some point, this offense must incorporate rookie RB Blake Corum into the rotation. Either the Rams play Corum now, and allow him to shoulder some of the burden now, of wait until Williams falls to injury, and then scramble at customizing an offensive game plan without Kyren Williams.

It's simply far more prudent to spread the load around. More hands makes less work.

But the Rams roster acts more like a lunar space mission than an NFL game. The team burns through their primary players until they fall to injury, and then scramble to reroute the offense through backusp.

We can rationalize why Blake Corum is not playing. But at a cost of a Day 2 draft pick, excuses seem more along the lines of convenience than inability. The Rams have to lighten Kyren Williams workload. To do that, this offense has to start handing the football off to Blake Corum.

(1) - Rams secondary is still chaotic

The LA Rams secondary is struggling with injuries. But even the players who are healthy are not meeting expectations. And that's another problem. The thing is, the Rams seem to have just enough secondary energy to stymie one significant receiver from the opposing offense. The problem is that almost all NFL offenses have at least two if not three solid receivers.

In Week 1, the Rams were able to harness Detroit Lions TE Sam LaPorta. But WR Jameson Williams appeared unstoppable. In Week 2, the Rams were able to keep Arizona Cardinals TE Trey McBride somewhat subdued. But rookie WR Marvin Harrison Jr. was unstoppable. In Week 3, the Rams secondary defended San Francisco 49ers WR Brandon Aiyuk fairly well. But WR Jauan Jennings was unstoppable. And when I say unstoppable, I means unstoppable:

• Week 1 - WR Jameson Williams | 5 of 9 receptions | 121 receiving yards | 1 touchdown
• Week 2 - WR Marvin Harrison Jr, | 4 of 8 receptions | 130 receiving yards | 2 touchdowns
• Week 3 - WR Jauan Jennings | 11 of 12 receptions | 175 receiving yards | 3 touchdowns

It's an alarming trend. And if the Rams cannot figure out some way to reverse their ineptness, they can look forward to rookie WR Rome Odunze catching 10+ passes for 200+ receiving yards and four touchdowns. If that happens, the Rams offense will have a tough task of putting up enough points to stay in this game

Will the secondary allow another receiver to make a compelling case for OROY? Perhaps not, but the Bears wide receiver room is quite capable of shredding NFL secondaries. They boast WR D.J. Moore, Rome Odunze, Keenan Allen, and TE Cole Kmet. So any receiver the defensive backs try to neutralize, rookie QB Caleb Williams will have an array of alternatives to throw to.

That's when the trouble starts.

The Rams pass rush has to show up and find the range early in this one. If the Rams can get some quarterback sacks going in this one, they can dictate the Bears offense to third downs with long distances. That will keep the defense in the driver's seat

The offense and special teams bailed the defense out in Week 3. To win in Week 4, it will be up to the defense to set the tone and carry the load.

As always, thanks for listening.