[brid video=”664009″ player=”23231″ title=”NFL%20Defense%20Rankings%20Steelers%20Buccaneers%20soar%20heading%20into%20Week%207″ duration=”160″ description=”The absence of a normal offseason and an eliminated preseason took its toll on NFL defenses to begin the season, but we’re starting to see signs of change. As Week 7 draws closer, defensive coordinators are now making adjustments and some of the league’s game-changing players are stepping up.We saw it in Week 6, with teams like the Pittsburgh Steelers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Chicago Bears putting on defensive clinics. Those stellar efforts paved the way to victory and could set the tone for the next 11 weeks of the regular season.After another fun week of football, there was plenty of shakeup in our rankings for the NFL’s best defenses. If Sunday’s action is a sign of things to come, the next few months in the NFL should feature plenty of excitement.Here, we rank the top-20 defenses in the NFL heading into Week 7.” uploaddate=”2020-10-20 19:30:32″ thumbnailurl=”https://cdn.brid.tv/live/partners/17660/thumb/664009_t_1603222257.png” contentUrl=”https://cdn.brid.tv/live/partners/17660/sd/664009.mp4″]
Monday night saw the Los Angeles Rams rebound from a Week 6 loss to the division rival San Francisco 49ers. It came against a previously 5-1 Chicago Bears team that had success earlier this season despite struggles on offense.
That was pretty much the name of the game for head coach Matt Nagy and the Bears on Monday night. Chicago could not get anything going on the ground. Nick Foles continued to struggle under center.
On the other hand, the Rams saw quarterback Jared Goff put up a mistake-free performance while dominating on the defensive side of the ball. Here are the biggest takeaways from this Week 7 “Monday Night Football” matchup that saw the Rams come out on top by the score of 24-10.
Related: NFL Week 8 schedule, predictions
Chicago Bears offense will be its undoing
The Bears must add some reinforcements on offense ahead of the NFL trade deadline if they want to be taken seriously as a legit playoff contender. Despite boasting a 5-1 record heading into Monday night, most saw this club as a pretender. That’s primarily because the team’s offense just has not been able to get it going.
This continued big time against the Rams in Los Angeles. Nick Foles put up just 230 net passing yards on 44 drop backs. He also threw two interceptions, including this one in the end zone with Chicago looking to make it a one-score game.
The Bears’ rushing attack didn’t do Foles any real favors, either. Struggling sophomore back David Montgomery went for all of 48 yards on 14 attempts. All said, the Bears put up 14 first downs en route to another brutal showing on offense.
Los Angeles Rams defense is elite
We can’t put all of the blame on the Bears’ offense. Los Angeles’ defense entered Monday night yielding the third-fewest points per game in the league. Aaron Donald is the clear choice to win his third NFL Defensive Player of the Year award. As a whole, this unit came to play big time against Chicago.
The Rams yielded 279 total yards and 10 points. It might not have showed up on the box score, but Donald was his normal disruptive presence. Meanwhile, the likes of Jalen Ramsey, Taylor Rapp and Troy Hill performed extremely well in the secondary. Los Angeles’ defense clearly makes this team a legit contender in the NFC.
Related: If you’re a fan of the Rams, check out #RamsHouse rumors, rankings, and news here.
NFC West could have four playoff teams
That’s not hyperbole. Heading into Week 8, the 49ers are in last place in the NFC West with a 4-3 record. They are actually 1.5 games ahead of the first-place team in the horrible NFC East. Now that the NFL has expanded to seven playoff teams per conference, there’s a chance that this division could get four playoff teams. It really isn’t hard to imagine.
- Seattle Seahawks: 5-1
- Arizona Cardinals: 5-2
- Los Angeles Rams: 5-2
- San Francisco 49ers: 4-3
Related: NFL Week 8 power rankings
We’ll be seeing NFC West teams beat up on one another moving forward on the season. With that said, their records outside of the division tell us a big story. Combined, NFC West teams are 16-5 when not playing one another.
Will the Bears trade Allen Robinson?
Even at 5-2 on the season, it’s hard to look at the Bears as legit playoff contenders. They have scored the second-fewest points in the NFC. The team does not have a starter-caliber quarterback on the roster, even after replacing Mitchell Trubisky with Nick Foles under center.
Related: If you’re a fan of the Bears, check out #DaBears rumors, rankings, and news here
Meanwhile, both head coach Matt Nagy and general manager Ryan Pace have to be on the hot seat. As for Robinson, rumors suggested earlier in the season that he might want out of dodge. An impending free agent, Robinson has not been used to the best of his ability this season. In fact, he was targeted just four times Monday night. There’s now a chance that the Bears, once again, kick the tires on a potential Robinson trade.