Monday Night Football Preview
Bears +6 at Rams I Over/Under 44.5
Week seven of Monday Night Football brings us to Los Angeles, where the Bears will be taking on the Rams. It is baffling how the Bears are coming into this one 5-1, but they seem to do just offensively to get the job done. Despite being 4-2 and coming off a loss to the 49ers last week, the Rams look like the more polished team. Both teams have good defenses, which will be on full display this week. As always, salary and spread information are based on DraftKings.
HOW THE BEARS WIN
The Bears have to play well defensively, which is the name of their game. Their offense is mediocre at best and seems to do just enough to get a win. They need to get pressure on Goff early and often. Goff does not perform well when he’s under duress, which will lead him to make mistakes. The Rams are a good all-around defensive unit Nick Foles has to manage the game and take his shots when he gets them.
HOW THE RAMS WIN
On paper, the Rams are the better team. That doesn’t always translate into winning games though. The Bears have a monster pass rush and can get after the quarterback and disrupt the game flow. Goff needs to command this offense and do his best to stay on his game. When Goff has time, he’s one of the best young quarterbacks in the game, but he’s capable of being thrown off his game when he is under constant pressure.
QUARTERBACK
Nick Foles ($9,800)
The Bears are going with the lesser of two evils at quarterback. Foles has thrown a touchdown in each of his four starts since taking over (with a three-touchdown performance week three) but has also thrown an interception in each game as well. He’s yet to have a 300-yard game, and it would appear his best days are behind him at this point in his career. The Rams come into this one allowing 231 passing yards per game and have surrendered eight touchdowns. This offense has been scrapping by the past few weeks, and overall is not that great. If the Bears fall behind in this game, it’s going to be tough for Foles to claw back.
Jared Goff ($10,400)
Goff has been inconsistent this year through six games. He’s got two 300-yard efforts this year and has four touchdowns in his last three games, but also has an interception in each. He’s been at his best when he’s facing a team that doesn’t have a good pass rush. The Bears haven’t changed much on defense since they last met, where Goff threw for just 173 yards and an interception with no touchdowns. The Bears have continued to be tough on quarterbacks this year, allowing only four touchdowns, which is the best in the league. If you need a streamer for this week, it’s not Goff.
RUNNING BACKS
David Montgomery ($8,400)
David Montgomery has underperformed this year based on the amount of work he sees every week. He’s averaging 17 touches per game but doesn’t have a 100-yard game and has scored just two touchdowns on the year. He’s playing a lot, but he’s not producing anything worthwhile with his touches. The Rams are great upfront on defense and allow only 91 rushing yards per game, and have surrendered just two rushing scores. The volume alone makes him a decent start; if he could finally get going, that would be even better.
Darrell Henderson ($8,200), Malcolm Brown ($3,400), Cam Akers ($1,000)
This is one of the most intriguing backfields in the league, and it continues to be a weekly puzzle. For now, Henderson seems to be the flavor of the week as he’s leading the team in snaps and figures to do so in this one. He got in some full practice reps late in the week, which means he should be good to go. Brown held this role earlier in the year, and we are patiently waiting for Akers to take over (which I still believe happens at some point). I was on the Akers wagon this off-season and even wrote about how he had the least resistant path to playing time; well, that couldn’t be further from the truth at this point. The Bears allow 96 rushing yards per game and have given up five scores on the ground. With the pressure the Bears can bring upfront, the Rams may try to go outside or get their backs involved with short screen passes to get them some open field.
WIDE RECEIVERS
Allen Robinson ($10,000), Anthony Miller ($2,200), Darnell Mooney($4,400)
Robert Woods ($9,000), Cooper Kupp ($9,200)
The Rams have as good of a one-two punch at receiver as any team in the league. Unfortunately for them, their success is tied to Jared Goff, and neither has been consistent this year. Things will remain a challenge this week against a Bears team that has only surrendered one touchdown to the receiving position this year. Out of the two in this matchup, Kupp would be the better option as quick short throws might be what the Rams need to move the ball. If he could somehow find the end zone, that’s just icing on the cake.
TIGHT END
Jimmy Graham ($7,200)
The Bears have involved Graham in their offensive plans this year and have brought him back to being relevant. He’s seeing an average of six targets per game and is always a threat to score in the red zone. The Rams allow 48 yards per game and have given up four scores to tight ends on the year. Graham doesn’t dominate the position these days like he once did, but this is a plus matchup for him, and he makes for an acceptable streaming option this week.
Tyler Higbee ($6,200)
Tyler Higbee has become a boom or bust option at tight end, and lately, he’s been more of a bust. He hasn’t found the end zone since his monster week two, where he had three scores, and up until last week, he didn’t have more than 40 receiving yards in his previous three games. The Bears have allowed three touchdowns to tight ends this year, but it’s hard to trust Higbee against this Bears pass defense. There are better options out there this week if you need a streamer.
PICK
Rams -6 Under 44.5
LINEUP
- Jimmy Graham- Captain
- Cooper Kupp
- Robert Woods
- Cam Akers
- David Montgomery
- Allen Robinson
