The NFC West champion Rams look to clinch a first-round playoff

With a second straight division title in hand http://www.losangelesramsteamonline.com/robert-woods-jersey , Jared Goff and the Los Angeles Rams would love to grab a few more prizes.Another one is there for the taking.bye when they visit the NFC North-leading Chicago Bears in a prime-time matchup Sunday.“You obviously want to win as many games as you can,” Goff said. “But if you do, it will lead to those types of rewards, and the first one we’ve done is win the division. Hopefully we can win a few more now or however many it takes to get the first-round bye and hopefully work toward the first seed.”The Rams (11-1) clinched their second straight division championship and became the first team to secure a playoff spot with their 30-16 victory at Detroit last week. It’s quite an accomplishment for a franchise that endured 13 seasons without a winning record after capturing the NFC West in 2003.It’s the first division repeat for the Rams since a run of seven straight first-place finishes ended in 1979. And besides securing a first-round bye on Sunday, Los Angeles has a chance to move closer to home-field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs, with a one-game lead over New Orleans, which has beaten the Rams.Chicago (8-4) won five straight prior to a wild overtime loss at the New York Giants last week. The Bears wiped out a 10-point deficit in the final 1:13 of regulation, only to lose when Janoris Jenkins knocked away a deep pass by Chase Daniel after Aldrick Rosas kicked a 44-yard field goal.Daniels likely won’t be at quarterback this week. Mitchell Trubisky expects to return after missing the past two games because of a right shoulder injury.Here are some things to know as the Rams and Bears get ready to meet:ROADMAPSThe two teams appear to be following similar paths, with prized quarterbacks and big leaps under offense-minded coaches.The Rams drafted Goff with the No. 1 overall pick in 2016, hired coach Sean McVay to get the most out of him prior to last season, and took off from there, winning the division out of nowhere.Chicago drafted Trubisky with the second overall pick in 2017 and hired Matt Nagy prior to this season to get the most out of the prized QB. Though the Bears expected to be better after four straight last-place finishes, a rather commanding division lead seemed like a stretch.Trubisky has taken some big strides after a shaky rookie season — like Goff, who made the Pro Bowl last year. And a prime-time win over the team with the best record in the NFL wouldn’t hurt his stock.“We know we have a great opponent coming in this weekend. … And I’m just eager and excited to get back out there with my guys and play the game,” Trubisky said.RUNNING RAMSTodd Gurley is already the NFL’s leading rusher and its top-scoring non-kicker with 19 touchdowns Todd Gurley Jersey Salute to Service , but the Rams might need to rely on their superstar running back even more than usual. His backup, Malcolm Brown, is out for the season after injuring his collarbone last week. Depth running backs Justin Davis and John Kelly have little regular-season experience, but both seem confident in their ability to contribute — and Kelly is a Detroit native who won’t mind the cold Chicago weather.EXPECTED BACKTrubisky hasn’t played since a win over Minnesota on Nov. 18. He was hurt sliding in the closing minutes, when the Vikings’ Harrison Smith hit him on the left side. That resulted in his right shoulder getting driven into the ground.Assuming he starts Sunday, Trubisky will have to contend with Aaron Donald, who leads the league with 16 1/2 sacks.“You look at (Donald) and you wonder how he can weigh as much as he weighs (280 pounds) and be as quick as he is,” Nagy said. “He’s really extremely quick. He’s savvy in regards to the different types of moves that he has. He’s got power.”THROW IT OUTGoff is coming off one of his least impressive games in a standout season. He went 17 of 33 for just 207 yards and one touchdown at Detroit. Goff also threw an interception and was sacked twice. He’s facing a daunting task going against Khalil Mack and a defense with a league-leading 21 interceptions. “We’ve got to be ready to go,” McVay said. “This is one of the best defenses in the league and you see it show up on the tape.”RUN DOWNThough the Bears rank second against the run, they’ve had trouble stopping it the past two games.New York’s Saquon Barkley carried 24 times for 125 yards. And in a Thanksgiving victory at Detroit, Chicago gave up 85 yards rushing in the second half. The NFL has undergone quite a few changes since the time when Jon Gruden first walked the sideline as Oakland Raiders head coach.One constant had been Cleveland searching for a legitimate starting quarterback. Now it looks as if the Browns might finally have found their man.No. 1 overall draft pick Baker Mayfield is set to make his debut as an NFL starter on Sunday when the Browns (1-1-1) visit Gruden and the Raiders (0-3) a week after he led a comeback win in relief that snapped Cleveland's 19-game winless streak."I think that guy has the 'it' factor," Gruden said. "He has the charisma. He has the competitiveness. He has the feel. He has the ability to be great. What he did the other day coming off of the bench, down (14) and bringing his team back at home in front of his fans in his debut was awesome."Mayfield will be the 30th starting quarterback for the Browns since they returned to NFL in 1999, a list that includes another former No. 1 overall pick in Tim Couch, first-round flameouts such as Johnny Manziel and journeymen such as Ken Dorsey and Luke McCown. Only Brian Hoyer has a winning record at 10-6 as the revolving door at quarterback has led to little success.The Browns drafted Mayfield first overall looking to change that history and he's getting the opportunity quicker than planned. Coach Hue Jackson's plan was for Mayfield to sit and watch Tyrod Taylor Authentic Dominique Easley Jersey , but that changed last week against the Jets when Taylor went out with a concussion.Mayfield went 17 of 23 for 201 yards and caught a 2-point conversion pass in just more than a half, leading the Browns back from a 14-0 deficit to a 21-17 win that was their first since Dec. 24, 2016."This is sooner than what I thought would happen because I thought that we would have played much better earlier on offense. We did not," Jackson said."There was a stark difference in how we performed when he got in there. That is the nature of this business. That is the way that it works. It is an earned business. The young man went in there, and he earned the right to be the starter."Here are some other things to watch:FAST START, SLOW FINISHThe Raiders have opened each game this season by taking the opening kickoff and driving for a score, followed by a three-and-out on defense. That has helped Oakland take the lead at halftime in every game so far.But the second half has been a different story and that's why the Raiders are the second team in the past 20 seasons to start 0-3 despite leading every game at the half.Oakland hasn't trailed for a single second in the first three quarters this season, but has been outscored 37-3 in the fourth, leading to the three losses."I feel like if we would've gotten blown out all three games, or not been ahead, then you could be pessimistic," receiver Amari Cooper said. "But we feel like we could have won every game we've been in. We're looking forward to closing the next one."FRIENDS, FOESJackson and Gruden have intertwined coaching roots. They were assistants on the same staff at Pacific in 1989, when Jackson coached running backs and Gruden had receivers. Jackson said Gruden tried to hire him during his first stint with Oakland. Jackson then spent the 2011 season as Raiders coach. And while they're friends, Jackson said that gets put to the side Sunday."We used to be office mates. He taught me football Limited Marcus Peters Jersey ," Jackson said. "We used to argue every day. I know him extremely well. He is extremely competitive, and he does not like losing, no more than I did not like losing."SAME PLAY, SAME RESULTThe Raiders have been burned three times already this season on jet sweeps for touchdowns. Todd Gurley took one 19 yards for a score in the opener for the Rams and Miami struck twice last week with an 18-yard TD for Jakeem Grant and a 74-yarder for Albert Wilson. The Raiders expect to see more of the same until they can prove they can stop it."If there is $20 bills being spit out of a teller down the street, you and I are going to get in line," Gruden said. "We are going to stand in line and pick up 20s. The Rams got us, the Dolphins got us and I'm sure Cleveland is going to try and get us as well."LANDRY LISTBrowns wide receiver Jarvis Landry didn't know he's been making catches — and history. The three-time Pro Bowler has had at least five receptions in 20 straight games, the second-longest run in NFL history.Antonio Brown set the mark with 36 straight games from 2013-15. Landry's run underscores his consistency and playmaking abilities, and he is proud of his dependability."I can only speak about just getting opportunities and taking advantage of the opportunities regardless of the play call or whatever it is," said Landry, who has 420 catches in just over four seasons. "If the quarterbacks trust me to throw it to me, then I got to make the play."AP Sports Writer Tom Withers in Berea, Ohio, contributed to this report