Rams vs. Bears: Breaking Down Biggest Keys to Victory in Pivotal NFC Matchup

Even with both teams entering Sunday's matchup with a 1-1 record, the St. Louis Rams and Chicago Bears can't help but wonder what could be. 

For the Rams, they blew a late lead on the road against Detroit in Week 1 before coming back last week with a good performance against Washington. They could easily be entering this game with a 2-0 record. 

For the Bears, Week 1 against the Colts couldn't have been scripted better. They put up 428 yards of offense and 41 points. Jay Cutler threw for over 300 yards, and Matt Forte had 120 total yards. 

Then, everything fell apart for Cutler and the Bears in Week 2 at Green Bay. Now there is talk that the locker room might be turning on Cutler, though Brian Urlacher doesn't see it that way, of course. 

This is a critical matchup between two teams who have a lot to prove this season. So who will have the edge when these two NFC upstarts take the field on Sunday?

Here are the keys to victory for both the Rams and Bears.

Keys to St. Louis Victory

Establish pass early. Defensive line must create pressure.

The Rams offense has looked much-improved through two games this season. Sam Bradford actually has time to throw the ball, and the results look a lot better than what we saw at any point in 2011. 

Bradford is completing nearly 72 percent of his passes and has four touchdowns with just one interception. 

The Bears don't boast a deep secondary, so Bradford has to find openings down the field to attack in order to exploit that weakness. 

On the defensive side of the ball, the Rams are tied for 27th with just two sacks. They can't afford to give Cutler time to throw the ball, or Brandon Marshall is going to rip them apart. 

Matt Forte being out is a big help to the Rams, though Michael Bush is a starter masquerading as a backup, so they can't afford to take their foot off the gas pedal. 

The battle in the trenches is going to tell you all you need to know about how the Rams will fare in this game. 

Keys to Chicago Victory

Limit turnovers and stupid mistakes. Give Cutler time to throw. Attack Bradford with the front seven.

Cutler's reputation as a gunslinger is well-deserved, though it is also quite simplistic. Some of his problems with interceptions stem from having an offensive line that struggles to protect him. When Cutler is forced to move in the pocket, he's going to throw off his back foot, causing the ball to sail and get picked off.

Even though he took flak for the way he handled the situation last week, Cutler was not out of line for criticizing the big guys that protect him. 

If Cutler has time to find Marshall and Alshon Jeffery, he is going to make plays all game. 

On the other side of the ball, the Bears' bread and butter is a front seven that is so effective against the run and at attacking opposing quarterbacks. Julius Peppers is still the best defensive end in the NFL. 

The Rams have looked better in pass protection so far this season, though they have gone up against the always-inconsistent Lions and lackluster Redskins. This will be their first true test up front this season. 

Creating pressure with the front seven, or, ideally, the front four, will open up things for the defense and take a lot of stress off an overmatched secondary. 

Follow @adamwells1985