The Chicago Bears will look to get back to .500 Sunday Night as they travel west to take on the Los Angeles Rams. It will be the first time in 39 years that the Bears will play a game in Los Angeles. Although the season hasn’t gone the way Chicago had hoped it would, fortune appears to be in their favor heading into Sunday Night.
Both the Rams and the Bears were favorites to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl before the 2019 season. The two teams have failed to live up to expectations during the season as each team has had its own issues. Similar to the Bears, the Rams have been inconsistent on offense and quarterback Jared Goff has regressed in his fourth year in the league. Injuries and a lack of quality play have plagued Los Angeles as they have gone 2-4 since starting the season 3-0.
Following their loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, Rams head coach Sean McVay announced on Monday that Pro-Bowl Wide receiver Brandin Cooks and offensive tackle Rob Havenstein will miss Sunday’s game against the Bears. Furthermore, starting center Brian Allen will miss the remainder of the season with an MCL injury. The Rams offensive line injuries bolds well for a Bears defense that has failed to generate consistent pressure on opposing quarterbacks.
Rams quarterback Jared Goff has been as inconsistent as Bears quarterback Mitchell Trubisky this season. Goff has thrown an interception in five games and has three multi-interception games in 2019. The Rams offense has struggled to produce points against quality defenses. In their last two games against opponents with winning records, the offense has scored just one touchdown.
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A lack of offense is a big problem for a Rams defense filled with All-Pro talents. Defensive tackle Aaron Donald and cornerback Jalen Ramsey lead a Rams defense that could become disgruntled if the offensive struggles continue. Against Pittsburgh, the Rams defense outscored their offense by six points. If Bears head coach Matt Nagy can develop a game plan in which the Bears offense scores early, it could lead to the Rams defense quitting as the game goes on, especially if Los Angeles’ offense can’t score.
On Wednesday, both of Los Angeles’ top two tight ends appeared on the injury report as Tyler Higbee was out with a knee injury and Gerald Everett was limited with a wrist injury. If both tight ends can’t play on Sunday night, it would enable the Bears pass-defense to focus solely on receivers Cooper Kupp and Robert Woods. Chicago could also produce more than one interception in the game, something that they have only done once this season.
If the Bears can capitalize on the rough stretch that the Rams are going through right now, Chicago could revitalize their playoff hopes. Following Sunday Night’s game against the Rams, they will host the New York Giants and then play the Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving. The Giants have one of the worst defenses in the league allowing 29 points per game. The Lions could be without starting quarterback Matthew Stafford again when they host the Bears in week 13 on Thanksgiving. With a possible four-game winning streak, Chicago’s record would sit at 7-5 heading into December.
The possible fortune that appears to be on the Bears side only matters if they seize it. They are playing a Rams team that is battling injuries, and that has issues against quality opponents. Nagy needs to have his team motivated and ready to seize the opportunity that is ahead of them. A win on Sunday Night could be the reignition the Bears have needed since the start of October.
