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Sunday, the Rams have a chance to earn a winning record for the first time since 2006. To do this, they must defeat the Chicago Bears, and they especially need to have success against the always tough Bears' defense.
The Rams did well with the passing game last week, but the Redskins' secondary isn't good by any means. Moreover, the pass rush was subpar after Brain Orakpo was injured. The Bears are a totally different beast.
Julius Peppers and Israel Idonije make one of the better pass rushing tandems in the NFL. Charles Tillman is one of the better CBs in the league. Brain Urlacher and Lance Briggs are two of the best zone coverage linebackers and are the key to the Bears' cover two system. Needless to say, the air attack will have a much tougher time this week.
The ground game will have to step up. Luckily for the Rams, Steven Jackson seems likely to play Sunday, after "injuring" his groin Sunday against the Redskins.
What should be expected out of Jackson? Hit the jump!
Steven Jackson has played two games against the Bears in his career, and in those games he has been very productive. In his career against the Bears, Jackson has rushed for 193 yards for 4.2 yards per carry and one touchdown. He also has 67 receiving yards and a TD against the Bears, but with only 4.8 yards per reception.
The Bears on the other hand have had good success in run defense so far in 2012. They rank 9th in the league giving up only 84.5 rushing yards per game, but it should be noted that they have played the Colts and the Packers.; two teams that aren't exactly know for their running attacks.
What does this all equal up to? A potential huge day for Steven Jackson.
Jackson had already had good games against the Bears in 2006 and 2009, days where the Bears defense was much younger and more stout. The Rams used 3-WR sets to great effect against the Redskins in week 2, and they will certainly line up with three WRs many times against the Bears. This will allow the running game space to work, and Steven Jackson can be deadly in space.
Prediction: The Rams will lean heavily on Steven Jackson in Chicago with the Bears' pass defense providing a tougher challenge than the Redskins. He again rushes for 100+ yards and at least one TD. If you have him in fantasy, he is a good start this week.