The Chicago Bears were on the verge of losing three games in a row on Monday night against the Chargers. But an incredible performance from Jay Cutler proved to be just enough to give them the thrilling 22-19 victory. Up next for them is another road game, this time opposite the St. Louis Rams, who will be looking to rebound from their loss to the Vikings this weekend at the Edward Jones Dome. Who will grab the win here?
Read on below for a full breakdown of this NFC battle. And while you’re at it, check out our other NFL Week 10 previews: Dolphins vs. Eagles and Chiefs vs. Broncos.
[sc:NFL240banner ]What a way to get back on track. The Chicago Bears successfully captured a thrilling 22-19 triumph over the staggering San Diego Chargers on Monday night despite trailing for almost the entire game. Bears quarterback Jay Cutler was huge in this game and had one of his best games of the season.
Cutler completed 27-of-40 passes for 345 yards, two touchdowns and one interception to lead his Bears to their third win. His biggest play came in the final minutes of the fourth quarter, wherein he connected with Zach Miller for the touchdown which gave them the lead. Then, rookie Jeremy Langford, who replaced the injured Matt Forte, followed it up with a two-point conversion run.
Moving on, the Bears will hope to build on their current momentum when they cap off their two-game road trip at St. Louis this coming Sunday. The Bears are 7-3 SU and ATS in their previous 10 meetings with the Rams.
In order for Chicago to reign triumphant once more, Cutler needs to play like the way he did versus the Chargers and avoid digging themselves a huge deficit. He also needs solid outputs from Jeremy Langford and Alshon Jeffery to spark a struggling offense that’s averaging just 347.1 total yards per game, the 11th-lowest in the NFL.
Langford provided a valiant effort in his first career start, finishing with a personal-best 72 yards on 18 rushes Monday night. He’s bound to get the nod once more with Forte’s status still doubtful for Week 10. Jeffery, meanwhile, made his presence felt as well by catching 10-of-16 targets for a season-high 151 yards.
But the two will have to be more creative and spend a lot more energy in getting through a St. Louis defense that ranks fourth-best in the league with 323.8 total yards allowed per game this 2015-2016 season.
The St. Louis Rams’ hopes of notching three-consecutive triumphs for the first time this season came to a bitter end at the hands of the Minnesota Vikings, who edged them by three points Sunday night. Now, the Rams return home for their Week 10 clash with the Chicago Bears. The Rams are 3-1 SU and ATS in their four home games thus far this season.
The Rams, though, gave themselves a good chance to steal one from the Vikings. They rallied from an early 10-0 deficit in the first quarter and eventually forced the game to an extra period. But they couldn’t convert after and eventually allowed Blair Walsh to nail the 40-yard field goal which handed them their fourth defeat.
The efforts of Todd Gurley were still worth noting even though the Rams lost and his four-game 125-plus rushing yards streak was stopped. Gurley rumbled for a team-high of 89 yards on 24 carries and added along a touchdown during the first half. Meanwhile, QB Nick Foles, wasn’t much of a factor in that game as he threw for just 168 yards passing and was sacked once.
But St. Louis should feel pretty confident about bouncing back this coming Sunday. Their ground game—fourth-best in the league with 135.5 yards per game—could feast on the Bears’ unstable front seven (121.6 rushing yards given up per game). Gurley is probably licking his chops right now while setting his sights on a bounce back performance. He currently holds a team-best 664 yards rushing and four TDs thus far.
Also, WR Tavon Austin could provide some more offense for the Rams. He’s hauled in 28 catches for 300 yards and has carried the ball 25 times for a respectable 207 yards rushing through eight games. Austin’s versatility has really proven to be of great benefit for the Rams this year and the Bears need to keep a close eye on him as well.
