NFL Game of the Week: Bears vs. Rams
The 5-1 Chicago Bears travel to California to take on the 4-2 Los Angeles Rams for a Monday night football showcase that features two strong defenses and two players who specialize in disrupting the passer in Khalil Mack and Aaron Donald.
The Bears have started off hot, and, coming out of a 23-16 win against the Carolina Panthers, they look like they are adjusting to the quarterback change that saw Nick Foles replace Mitchell Trubisky.
The last time the Bears lost a game was Week 4, when the Indianapolis Colts beat them 19-11, spoiling Foles’ first start in a Bears uniform.
On defense, Mack and the Bears are looking to put the pressure on Jared Goff, as Mack comes into this game with 4 ½ sacks this season, and Roquan Smith looks to join the party in handling the Rams offense, as he has a team-leading 37 solo tackles, which ties him for fourth most in the NFL.
Allen Robinson comes into this game hungry for receptions, as he looks to build on his 40 catches and 474 yards on the season. Robinson also looks to find the end zone, as he has only found it twice this season.
The Bears would like to get Foles hot right away, but a strong Rams defense led by Aaron Donald, who leads the NFL with 5 ½ sacks, looks to turn Foles’ night into a nightmare.
With Donald attacking Foles, Jalen Ramsey and the Rams secondary will look to contain Robinson and the other Chicago receivers. Fellow Rams cornerback Darious Williams has been a ball hawk this season, grabbing two interceptions in six games.
Donald and the Rams defense have been tough to crack for opposing offenses, holding the competition to just 19 points per game.
The Bears defense has also kept teams around 19 points per game, but this seems like a challenging task in Week 7, as the Rams have been kept below 19 points just once this season against the New York Giants, a game that saw the Rams come out on top 17-9.
These two teams could not be more similar, both featuring strong defenses and solid offenses that can get the job done when needed. The only difference is that the Rams happen to score four more points per game than the Bears do, putting them at the smallest advantage offensively.
That said, the Bears have momentum on their side, and that is a tough thing to stop for even the best NFL teams. Chicago will escape Los Angeles with a win and reach 6-1 for the first time since 2012.
Prediction: Bears 28, Rams 24
Nicholas Mancuso is a junior majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email nbm9@psu.edu.
