Fox enjoys Chicago Bears' 'team' victory

ST. LOUIS - The Chicago Bears' defense did an excellent job of neutralizing the Rams' big-play threats, rookie running back Todd Gurley and wide receiver/return specialist Tavon Austin.

It was a theme that coaches stressed throughout the week.

"As a competitor, you think, 'Yeah, I'm getting tired of hearing about this guy,' " cornerback Tracy Porter said. "But that's the coaches' job. They're supposed to let you know who their target guys are, who they're going to feed the ball to, and who we have to take away."

Gurley came in averaging 5.6 yards per carry and was fourth in the league with 664 rushing yards. But he was limited Sunday to 45 yards on 12 carries (3.8-yard average). His 7 runs of 20 yards or longer were second in the NFL, but his longest gain of the day was 9 yards.

Austin picked up 18 yards on 3 runs, caught 2 passes for 5 yards and returned 3 punts for 16 yards.

"What goes unnoticed is that in No. 11 (Austin) they have a pretty dynamic, explosive guy," Bears coach John Fox said. "In the kicking game and on defense, we did a decent job of corralling that.

"It's a team game, and we clicked as a team probably as good as we have clicked thus far."

It's a relief:

No one was happier than center Matt Slauson to see rookie running back Jeremy Langford break into the clear for an 83-yard TD after he caught a screen pass.

"It's great," Slauson said. "Especially when I just threw a cut block because now I'm not expected to go run down (the field). I'm like 'All right guys, I'll be there in a minute.' "

Langford had 182 yards from scrimmage - 20 carries for 73 yards and 5 catches for 109.

A week earlier, in his first extended playing time in place of Matt Forte (knee), Langford had 142 yards from scrimmage - 18 carries for 72 yards and 3 catches for 70 yards.

"It's the experience," he said. "I feel like every game I'm getting a little bit better and the game's slowing down more and more."

Welcome back:

Inside linebacker Shea McClellin returned with a flourish after missing three weeks with a knee injury.

Late in the first quarter, he forced a fumble by Rams running back Tre Mason and then recovered the ball to set up Robbie Gould's 35-yard field goal that tied the game at 10-10.

"I just stripped it, and it kind of spun into my belly," said McClellin, who led the Bears with 8 tackles. "I was just trying to make a play."

Getting warmed up:

For the second straight week, the Bears' defense allowed a long touchdown drive on their opponents' first possession but not another TD the rest of the day.

"It's just a matter of being out of sync and a little anxiety," said veteran cornerback Tracy Porter, who had a game-best 2 pass breakups. "Guys are excited about the start of the game for whatever reason. We're expecting one thing, but they come out and do another thing.

"So we have to settle down and adjust, knowing that they're going to come back and do what they're used to doing."

The Rams rolled up 80 yards on their game-opening drive but just 205 yards the remainder of the day.

Forget about it:

It's way too early to be thinking playoffs, but the Bears have won four of six.

"We aren't worrying about that because it doesn't matter that we're 4-5 now," center Matt Slauson said. "It didn't matter when we were 0-3, it didn't matter when we were 2-5.

"We never lose hope, we never lose faith, we're going to just keep on playing, working hard, getting better every week and then we'll see where we're at in January."

Making it count:

Six-year veteran Willie Young never had an interception in the NFL until Sunday, and it's been so long he wasn't exactly sure when his last pick was at North Carolina State.

"It was against Clemson in Death Valley, I think back in '06," said Young, who actually had 1 interception in each of his four years with the Wolfpack (2006-09).

Young brought Sunday's fourth-quarter interception back 39 yards and still was fighting for extra yardage after being forced out of bounds.

"Anytime a defensive lineman gets an opportunity to put his hands on the ball and he's got some green grass in front of him," he said, "I don't think he's thinking about taking a knee because those are few and far between."

The new normal:

Robbie Gould came into Sunday's game having missed 3 straight field-goal attempts for only the second time in his 11-year career. The previous slump came in 2010, when he missed 1 kick in each of three games.

But Gould got back on track, going 3-for-3, hitting from 35, 36 and 37 yards.

He had made 17 straight to start the season before missing a 51-yarder vs. Minnesota and then misfiring from 47 and 34 yards last Monday night at San Diego. That was only the third time in his career Gould missed 2 kicks in the same game.

In 2008 and 2013, Gould missed just 3 kicks for the entire season, hitting 26 of 29 both years. In four other seasons - 2006, '09, '11 and '12 - Gould missed just 4 FG tries all year.

Sitting it out:

Running back Matt Forte, outside linebacker Pernell McPhee and wide receiver Eddie Royal did not make the trip to St. Louis, staying home to rehabilitate knee injuries.

The other inactives were wide receiver Deonte Thompson, safety Harold Jones-Quartey, center Hroniss Grasu (neck) and defensive lineman Ziggy Hood.

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