Los Angeles Rams: Previewing huge contest against Bears

Sunday night the Rams will battle the Bears in a highly anticipated matchup between two of the NFC’s top teams.

If you’re a football fan, you should be excited for what the NFL is bringing to your television. The 11-1 Los Angeles Rams, with one of the best offenses in football, travel to the Windy City to take one the 8-4 Chicago Bears and their young playmaking defense.

This matchup is made for primetime football. It’s one of those “something has to give” matchups. The Rams offense comes into Sunday second in the NFL in total offense with 439.9 yards per game and in the top ten in passing (4th), rushing (4th), receiving (5th), scoring (2nd), and total touchdowns (3rd), just to name a few. The Rams also have the best running back in football with Todd Gurley

The Bears counter the Showtime Rams with a defense that has been one of the best and consistent defenses this season. The Bears defense averages 317.9 YPG allowed (3rd in NFL) and 85.8 rushing yards per game, placing them second only behind the Saints.

Their 21 interceptions as a defense leads the NFL, and young playmakers like Eddie Jackson and Roquan Smith have been huge additions, and Akiem Hicks has been one of the best interior defensive linemen in the league since arriving at the Windy City.

The Bears on offense are no slouches either. Starting quarterback Mitchell Trubisky is set to return this week after sitting out the previous two games with a shoulder injury. Before being shelved, Trubisky was playing very well in his second season at the helm for the Bears. He’s completed 65.4% of his passes for 2,469 yards and 20 TDs to 9 INTs. He has performed well in Matt Naggy’s offense, but like his opponents, the defense is going to be a huge roadblock.

Another storyline to watch in this game is the DPOY race between Aaron Donald and Khalil Mack. The two highest-paid defensive players in the NFL, both guys have been unstoppable this season stopping the run and getting to the quarterback. Donald leads the league in sacks with 16.5 while Mack has tallied 9 sacks. The two have combined to force nine total fumbles (Mack 5, Donald 4).

Both players can take over games, with those forced fumbles and big plays coming at key points in the game. A big game from either Mack or Donald this week could solidify who truly is the DPOY.

There’s no doubt that the Rams are the top team in the NFL, but they could make their path to the Super Bowl easier, with a win tonight they will earn a first-round bye. That will be a tough task for the best team in the league. Soldier Field is a tough place to play for any team no matter the record. This season the Bears are 5-1 at home, with their only loss coming to the Patriots in Week 7. 

Sunday night is going to give fans their money’s worth, and the Bears are going to give the Rams a fight with their defense and underrated offense at home, but the Rams are too explosive on both sides of the ball. Look for the Rams to clinch a bye tonight and continue their dominance over the NFL.