The Rams got pounded, and the Chicago Bears got well, in a desultory 27-3 affair at the Edward Jones Dome on Sunday. It was hard to tell the home team as traveling Bears fans cheered and Rams fans booed early and often.

"On the road, you have to impose your will," Bears defensive end Adewale Ogunleye said. "And that is what we did."

The Rams won the coin toss and little else. They elected to kick off, but Danieal Manning returned it 50 yards to midfield and the Bears took a 7-0 lead on Matt Forte's 13-yard touchdown run. Later he added a 47-yard TD and finished with 132 yards rushing.

"I just run through the holes," Forte said, "and they do the dirty work up front."

The Bears broke a two-game losing streak, including last week's 37-3 debacle to the Green Bay Packers , to improve to 6-5 and remain tied for first in the NFC North. The losing streak for the Rams (2-9) moved to five.

Rams coach Jim Haslett said blame the players.

"I am helpless on the sidelines when it comes to" tackling, taking penalties and avoiding turnovers, Haslett said. "I will do anything I can for them, but I can't do those three things. That is what they are paid for."

"He's right," Rams cornerback Ron Bartell said. "The record says we're not a good team. The way we're playing says we're not a good team. But for the talent we have in this locker room, we need to be a lot better."

The Rams' self-iNFLicted wounds included four interceptions, a botched fake punt and 11 penalties for 85 yards. Haslett singled out special teams for penalties that cost field position. "I don't know if the offense would have scored anyway, as bad as they were playing," he said.