The Chicago Bears would probably love to borrow some of the St. Louis Rams' recovery ability heading into Monday night's game (ABC, 9 p.m. ET).

	Marc Bulger has helped the Rams recover from their 0-5 start.

The Rams (4-5) had to dig from a huge five-game hole. Their comeback to pull close to .500 has been miraculous considering the number of injuries they've had, particularly to Kurt Warner, Marshall Faulk, Orlando Pace and Aeneas Williams. To have quality football players out of the lineup and still win four straight games is an incredible turnaround.

Injuries, however, have completely devastated the Bears (2-7), who have been unable to recover, losing seven straight. Ted Washington's season-ending injury greatly impacted their ability to stop the run, and losing R.W. McQuarters for some time early in the season hurt them defending the pass.

The NFL season is a war of attrition. Comparing each team's 22 starters, the playing field is fairly level. But the falloff is significant when teams begin losing starters. It's also a testament to good coaching when backup players are able to step in and keep the team winning. And in that department, the Rams' Mike Martz has done a better job than the Bears' Dick Jauron.

For example, Marc Bulger has been absolutely fantastic filling in for the injured Warner. When Bulger first started, I thought he was a little frenetic. I wasn't quite sure if he would be a longterm solution to their problems. But each week Bulger has made a quantam leap -- not a baby step. Last week, in the comeback win over San Diego, he should he could be an NFL quarterback for a long time.

Bulger has a live arm, processes information quickly, locates the single-covered receiver, and throws accurately. He never wavered when his team fell behind last week, telling me a lot about what is in his belly.

But when Warner is healthy, he is still the Rams' quarterback, not Bulger. I may be old school when it comes to a player keeping his job after coming back from an injury. And yes, Bulger has played well and has given Martz a nice option if Warner isn't 100 percent. But remember, Warner was the co-MVP last season and is only three years removed from being both league and Super Bowl MVP. He is the best quarterback to run the Rams' offense.

Here are the keys to Monday night's game:

Five keys for Bears
1. Consistent QB play: The Bears' quarterback play has been uneven all season long. Against the Eagles, Jim Miller shouldn't have been on the field; he wasn't healthy. He had opportunities down the field and couldn't make the throws. Last week Chandler started, and Miller came back in. When a team doesn't get solid quarterback play, it minimizes its chance to win.

2. Sustain offense: The Bears must control the ball and win the time of possession, but at the same time they must score points. Too many teams think about shortening the game and controlling the clock. Against the Rams, the Bears can take that approach, but they must generate points.

3. Pressure on Bulger: Pressure is critical against a young quarterback, particularly inside. Every quarterback is disrupted by color when they see another jersey coming up the middle. The Bears must get pressure inside to make Bulger move and to keep him from getting a defined read. He is a plant-step-and-throw quarterback. If the Bears make him fall back a bit, they will hurt his accuracy.

4. Mix the coverages: Against an inexperienced quarterback, the Bears can't give him a good pre-snap look. Keep moving people around. Then when the ball is snapped, when they look as if they are validating the pre-snap look, the Bears should confuse him even more with movement.

5. Don't give up big play: It's easier said than done against the Rams, but the Bears must keep the Rams' receivers in front of them. Force the Rams to go 80 yards on 12 yards. Most importantly, tackle well. If Marshall Faulk isn't in the game, that's a positive for the Bears. And even if he does play, he won't be 100 percent with the high ankle sprain.

Five keys for Rams
1. Achieve balance: Sometimes it seems ridiculous to say when talking about Martz's offense, but I say it anyway: The Rams must have balance. At times Martz has a strong tendency to get away from the running game and become one-dimensional. But with an inexperienced quarterback, they need to give him the running game to rely on. It will help the play-action passing game and keep Bulger out of third-and-long situations, which is tough for any quarterback. The Rams need a good run-pass balance.

2. Think protection early: Bulger needs to be comfortable in the pocket. Up front, the Rams must allow him to get comfortable with high-percentage passes rather than having him throw the ball down the field early. The Rams should go with the three- and five-step drops so he can get the ball out and help him develop a comfort level.

3. Force stick throws: The Rams' defense must make Chandler complete the stick throws against tight man-to-man coverage. Don't give him easy throws and checkdowns against zone defense.

4. Score early: Against a Bears team in the midst of a long losing streak, the Rams must jump in front of them immediately and try to demoralize them. It will be important for the Rams to get off to a fast start.

5. No turnovers: Historically, the Rams tend to turn the ball and play sloppy football at times. The Rams don't want to do anything that will ignite the Bears. Turnovers can give life to the Bears. The Rams need to protect the football, avoid penalties and manage the clock correctly.

Former NFL quarterback Ron Jaworski, who played 15 seasons with the Rams, Eagles, Dolphins and Chiefs, is an analyst on "Edge NFL Matchup" and "Monday NFL Countdown."