As we enter the final game of week 7 in the NFL season we get to see the 5-1 Bears go into Los Angeles to face the 4-2 Rams. These are two of the best defensive teams in the league, so this could be a very low scoring affair, but could also provide some real drama going late into the game.
While it is a very good defensive matchup, the matchup that may be the most interesting (outside of Donald vs. Mack) will be QB vs. QB in Jared Goff vs. Nick Foles. Goff has proven that he is the starter for the Rams and will continue to be, Foles, not so much. Yes, Foles has a winning record as the starter, but he has not played like they need him to play. Is it possible that if Foles has a bad game that Mitchell Trubisky will become the starter again, maybe not, but let’s start out with Foles against the Rams defense.
Bears Offense vs. Rams Defense
In only two games this season have the Bears scored more than 25 points (both of which they won), yet they have managed to win five games all of which have been one score games. Even their one loss (8 points) came via a one score game. This means that the Bears have been on the brink of losing each game, yet they have managed to come away with the win. Whatever you call that, whether luck or skill, it will eventually catch up to you if nothing is done about that. The “nothing” comes in the offense. The Bears defense has been good enough to handle almost any team, but the offense has not, so let’s start with the Bears offense vs. the Rams defense.
In only three games this season the Bears have managed to accumulate over 300 total yards, three times with over 100 rushing yards and only one time with over 300 passing yards. Ironically, this was when Trubisky was the starting quarterback, even though Foles came in and led them to the comeback win against Atlanta. Since Foles became the full-time starter the offense has not been good, while the offense has not been good, they still manage to win games which is the end goal.
Currently, the Bears offense ranks 27th in the league in points per game, while ranking 25th in the pass, and 31st in the run (good thing for their defense). This week they take that offense onto the road, where they are 12-7 since the 2018 season, into Los Angeles to face the Rams who have been 14-4 since the 2018 season.
Los Angeles’s defense has been good for the most part this season. There have been a few hiccups on the way such as last week where the 49ers man handled their defensive line and virtually took them out of the game. But now they are looking for a makeup game, so far this season the Rams have lost two games and those are the only two games in which they allowed their opponents to score more than 20. The Rams currently rank third in the league in points allowed per game, fourth in the pass, and ninth in the run, all making them one of the best in the league.
With the talent of the Rams defense in both the run and the pass, it is not clear how the Bears are going to handle them on the offensive end. Well, Nick Foles is going to need to prove why he was brought into Chicago. The Rams are out for revenge after devastating a tough loss to the 49ers, so their defense (especially their line) should be well prepared this game. This means that the run game of David Montgomery will probably be shut down which will put even more pressure on Foles. Foles has the ability and the receiver in Allen Robinson, now it just depends on the offensive line’s ability to hold back the devastating line of the Rams.
Rams Offense vs. Bears Defense
Now we already discussed the Rams strength and the Bears weakness, now let’s flip sides and talk about the Bears strength and the Rams “weakness”. I use the quote around weakness because while the Rams offense ranks in the middle of the league, the offense is not bad, it’s just not as good as their defense. Currently, the Rams offense ranks 18th in the league in points per game, 17th in the pass game, and eighth in the run game. These are not bad offensive rankings, but the Bears (like the Rams) have had one of the best defenses in the league so far this season ranking fifth in the league in points per game allowed, eighth in the pass, and 14th in the run.
The Bears are not necessarily great at any one facet of the game on the defensive end (especially if injuries keep key players out), but they are extremely good at limiting opposing points. Chicago has only allowed more than 20 points two times this season and now they go against the Rams who have scored more than 30 points three times this season (two of which they won).
What is the key for the Rams offense though against the Bears; run the ball. The Rams have three running backs with over 100 yards in Darrell Henderson, Malcolm Brown and Cam Akers; two running backs with over 200 yards in Henderson and Brown, and one running back with over 300 yards in Henderson. All of this combines for the eighth ranked run game and that is the Bears weakness, containing the run.
This does not mean the Rams can’t pass, while they rank 17th in yards they have four receivers with over 200 yards meaning they spread the ball well. If they can get a good mix of both the run and the pass game, then it could and should eventually wear down the Bears defense and allow the Rams to get their points.
Final Analysis
These are two of the best defenses going up against each other this week so that means that this could be a low scoring defensive battle, but is that what we will actually see? The Rams have a very diverse offense (especially compared to the Bears) so they could be able to do just enough to make the game out of reach for Chicago.
Especially being at home it looks like the Rams have the advantage going into this game, but the Bears have always found a way to win this season, could they do it again? Well, the diversity of the Rams’ offense seems like it will be too much and if they control the ball for over half the game, they will force Foles to win the game by scoring, which they have not proven they can do. If Chicago wants any hope to win this game then the defense will need to stop and force turnovers, if not, they will be in for a long one.
Final Score: Rams 23, Bears 15