Gabriel: Bears-Rams Review

By Greg Gabriel--

(CBS) Since John Fox was named the Bears' coach in January, Sunday's performance against the Rams was the game we have been waiting to see. It was a dominant effort on both offense and defense for Chicago in a contest that was over midway through the fourth quarter in an eventual 37-13 win.

While there are still some are some areas of the Bears' game that need to be improved, the overall effort was by far their best of the 2015 season. This gives the team something to build on going down the stretch.

Here are my thoughts and observations.

Defense stays stout

After the opening kickoff, it looked as if it was going to be a long day for the Bears. The Rams went on an easy seven-play 80-yard touchdown drive in less than three minutes to take a quick 7-0 lead. On that drive, the Bears were prepared to stop rookie running back Todd Gurley but got consistently fooled by play-action and gave up huge chucks of yardage with each play.

The one area that has been consistent about this Bears team is its ability to make adjustments. After the opening drive, the Bears adjusted and didn't overreact to play-action. The result was the Chicago defense holding St. Louis to 205 yards the remainder of the game.

Over the last five games, Gurley had been averaging 131 yards per game and 5.8 yards per carry. He was reminding people of a young Adrian Peterson. On Sunday, the Bears held Gurley to just 45 yards on 12 carries. After the opening drive, he was a non-factor in the game.

The Rams only had the ball for 25:38 and picked up just 12 first downs. The Bears defense held Rams quarterback Nick Foles to 17 completions in 36 attempts for 200 yards and one interception. While the Bears only recorded one sack, they were able to put consistent pressure on Foles and not allow him to get in any kind of rhythm.

Inside linebacker Shea McClellin came back after missing the last three games with a knee injury to lead the Bears with eight total tackles. I felt it was McClellin's best game this season, as he became more of a presence at the line of scrimmage and was more physical than we have seen in the past.

Even though linebacker Pernell McPhee didn't play, the Bears got big games from both Lamarr Houston and Willie Young at the second level. Each had two tackles, with Houston getting his third sack in the last two games and Young getting an interception.

Cutler continues strong play

It has been obvious to all of us that Jay Cutler is having his best season as a Bear. The job that offensive coordinator Adam Gase is doing with Cutler is amazing. Cutler looks like he's having fun and is playing up to his enormous talent level.

Cutler had another strong game Sunday, completing 19 of 24 throws for 258 yards and three touchdowns. His quarterback rating for the game was 151. For the year, he's currently at 95.3, nearly 10 points above his career average of 85.8.

Miller adds another weapon

Two weeks ago, many Bears fans didn't know who tight end Zach Miller was. Now he's a vital part of the Bears offense. On Sunday, he had five receptions for 107 yards and two touchdowns, including an explosive 87-yard catch-and-run for a touchdown in the first quarter.

Miller has caught three touchdown passes in the last two games, and you can see Cutler's growing confidence in Miller. Cutler's now looking to get Miller the ball.

Miller has always had the talent, but his career has been slowed by injuries. He gives the Bears a speedy, athletic "move" tight end and another player that defenses have to worry about. We may have just begun to see how good Miller really is.

Langford, Carey step up in Forte's absence

With Matt Forte out with an MCL injury, both Jeremy Langford and Ka'Deem Carey have had to share the load at running back. Both have come through magnificently. Langford had 20 carries for 73 yards and a score as well as seven receptions for 109 yards and a touchdown. It is the second straight game that he has come up big.

Drafted in the fourth round in 2014, Carey carried near forgotten man status on the club. He didn't dress for several games earlier in the season, but he has made the most of his opportunity with Forte out. On Sunday, he had 14 carries for 56 yards and showed us how explosive he is getting to the hole. While he isn't big, he's a quality inside runner. His play the last two weeks has earned him playing time the rest of the season.

Next week looms large

After winning two consecutive games on the road, the Bears face the defending AFC West champion Denver Broncos next Sunday. A month ago, this game looked like a sure loss for the Bears, but the Broncos haven't played well recently, and news broke Monday morning that quarterback Peyton Manning has a partially torn plantar fascia in his right foot. His status for Sunday's game is unclear.

After winning their first seven games in dominant fashion, the Broncos have lost their last two, including a 29-13 loss at home to the Chiefs on Sunday after losing 27-24 to the Colts.

Manning has been playing hurt and looks nowhere near the Manning of old. In fact, he looks more like an old Manning, as he was replaced by fourth-year man Brock Osweiler on Sunday.

All of a sudden, this game looks like another winnable game for the Bears (4-5). Being that this Bears team hasn't played well at home this year, a strong showing would be just what the fans want. Fox and much of his staff coached the Broncos the last four years, so there's no question how important a game it is for them. It all adds up to an interesting week ahead.

Greg Gabriel is a former NFL talent evaluator who is an on-air contributor for 670 The Score. Follow him on Twitter @greggabe.