"The Chiefs and St. Louis are spending plenty of time this week preparing for terrific running backs, the centerpieces of both offenses.

On Wednesday, Rams coach Steve Spagnuolo said the idea of stopping Chiefs rushers Thomas Jones and Jamaal Charles has given him "a lot of nightmares," and he said the league's top rush offense has gotten his staff's attention this week as the teams prepare to meet Sunday at the Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis.

"We'll just try to get back to the basic things about defensive football," Spagnuolo said. "It's reactionary and playing fast."

He said the Rams have to shut down the areas near both sidelines, considering Charles and Jones have cutback ability and — particularly in Charles' case — can hurt defenses when they break runs to the outside.

The Chiefs have their own difficult assignment in trying to stop two-time Pro Bowler Steven Jackson, who is eighth in the league with 1,081 yards rushing.

Chiefs rookie safety Eric Berry said he had a plan for one-on-one tackling situations against the 236-pound Jackson.

"Just wrap him up until everyone else gets there," Berry said.

Charles is third in rushing with 1,177 yards."