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The Bears are in the midst of a perceived soft spot in the schedule, with struggling opposition facing them over the next few weeks. There’s an opportunity to get back to .500 and then start stacking wins on Sunday against the Los Angeles Rams, a team that isn’t bustling with talent but somehow always performs above expectation due to an excellent coaching staff and a darn good quarterback.

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The Bears have been in every game thus far thanks to a quality defense, but negative plays in big moments have proven costly in consecutive losses. That has left questions that must be answered in a surprisingly big game, considering it’s only Week 4, that the Bears need to win to get on track. Let’s get right to them, right now:

Can Bears put pressure on Matthew Stafford?

The Rams quarterback is a prototypical pocket passer, but his arm talent, accuracy and smarts make him a tough individual to take down. The Georgia alum has been excellent for a long time, with an ability to pick teams apart when they try to blitz.

That means sacks aren’t easy despite Stafford’s relative lack of athleticism. The fastest way to disrupt a passer like Stafford is through the middle. That will flush him or speed up his timing in a way that could produce errant throws that could produce incompletions or interceptions.

That means the Bears inside rush must be active, starting with Gervon Dexter Sr. and Andrew Billings. That pairing has done well to start the season, with seven pressures each that ties them for the team lead.

Scheme can also help in this effort, with some confusion helping edge rushers like Montez Sweat and DeMarcus Walker get home.

“His arm talent has not waned at all,” Bears defensive coordinator Eric Washington said. “He can make every throw on the field. He knows exactly what you’re in. So, our disguise will be critical. He just knows how to get the football out of his hand, how to get them into, I would say, an ideal play.”

Will the run game get going?

This has been a hot topic during the practice week, after the Bears failed to generate an efficient running game against a struggling Colts run defense despite devoting 28 carries to the effort.

That has led to meetings with the running backs about proper technique and continued offensive line work to improve run fits and timing. Multiple coaches said that Wednesday’s padded practice showed signs of real progress on terms of cohesion on this all-11 effort.

“The little things that we are emphasizing, just at our position, came to fruition (on Wednesday),” running backs coach Chad Morton said. “We were running hard, downhill, just trying to be more aggressive with stuff and just take what the defense gives us. We are just going to read things out, be disciplined and not make up anything and just go from there.”

The Rams have allowed 531 rushing yards in three games, which is the third highest total in the league. Their 5.1 yards per carry is ranked in the same slot. This is another opportunity for the Bears running game to assert itself and establish the “marriage between run and pass” that coordinator Shane Waldron is looking for but hasn’t yet found.

Can home win streak continue?

Solider Field has turned into the Bears friendly confines between this year and the last. The Bears have won six straight home games dating back to Week 7 of the 2023 campaign. The home crowd has become an advantage for the Bears, who haven’t allowed more than 20 points at home in nearly a full calendar year.

Getting home wins will be key right now. Why? After the Bears play the Rams and Panthers, they won’t be back at Solider Field again until Week 10. Stacking wins with wind at your back will be crucial before playing away from home for such an extended stretch.

Who wins the coaching battle?

The Bears coaching staff has cost its team a few times within the last two losses. Head coach Matt Eberflus (and those reviewing plays for him upstairs) made an unwise challenge on a ball Kyler Gordon clearly didn’t intercept that cost the Bears a timeout they could’ve used during a late comeback attempt.

The Bears had to burn a timeout against the Colts by sending the kicking unit out when going for two was the right call. And then there’s the play design and call on the failed 4^th-and-1 option play the Bears coaching staff is clearly tired of talking about.

They can’t make similar mistakes on Sunday against the Rams. Not only is Sean McVay a smart offensive mind, he’s a good game manager. Eberflus has made some management mistakes, but there’s no doubt he’s an excellent defensive play caller. The Rams offense versus the Bears defense should be something fun to watch on Sunday. If the Bears can keep the Rams under 24 points, this is a game the Bears should win.

That will only work if offensive coordinator Shane Waldron – he used to work for McVay as Rams passing game coordinator – can get his unit in the right calls to succeed. That has been an issue to this point. The Rams defense has struggled some under new coordinator Chris Shula, so the struggling unit that wins out will have an influence on the outcome.

While games always come down to player execution, coaching will play a role in this one.

Is Caleb Williams ready to take the next step?

Caleb Williams attempted 52 passes in a Week 3 loss to the Colts. That’s, you know, a lot. While it’s more than the Bears would like in an ideal scenario, Williams told offensive coordinator Shane Waldron that he’s willing to throw that much if asked to do so.

There were periods of that Colts game where Williams found great rhythm and looked like the threatening player Bears fans know he’ll become. He has great arm talent and athleticism, a combination that can produce results.

This isn’t advocation to throw 50-plus times, but there’s some value in Williams letting it rip if the situation requires it. He should have a full receiver corps now that Keenan Allen’s back from injury. Rome Odunze’s rounding into form and DJ Moore’s continuing to do his thing, so Williams should have openings at every level against the Rams defense.

The USC product has never been turnover prone, but avoiding those major mistakes is key if he’s going to take on a bigger role in the passing game. While throwing a ton isn’t ideal, Williams proved than he can handle such a responsibility if required.

Whether he throws a ton or not, operating the offense efficiently is the first element of his job description, and doing that well is the first sign of progress. We all know Williams can be special, and picking the right moments to do so successfully could be a turning point in this outcome.

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