Week 7 of the NFL season ends with a top NFC matchup. The Chicago Bears will face the Los Angeles Rams, and both teams are off to strong starts to the year. ESPN’s Monday Night Football will feature the game tonight at 8:15 p.m. ET. Along with watching on TV, ESPN app users can also stream the game there.
NFL fans are looking forward to seeing two of the best defensive players in the league go at it. Bears linebacker Khalil Mack and Rams defensive lineman Aaron Donald have won three of the last four Defensive Player of the Year Awards and have a chance to win it this year. Mack won the award in 2016 when he was a member of the Oakland Raiders. He was traded to the Bears in 2018 and has continued to make an impact, including this season, where he has notched 4.5 sacks in six games. The one thing Bears are keeping their eye on is Mack’s health as he’s been dealing with a back injury.
Videos by PopCulture.com
“I think we’ll be OK,” Bears coach Matt Nagy said, via Colleen Kane of the Chicago Tribune. “The back deal is more than anything just soreness. It’s probably just more preventative than anything. I’m not really concerned right now.” Donald, winner of the Defensive Player of the Year award in 2017 and 2018, will be ready to go tonight and increase his sack total. In six games, Donald has recorded 7.5 sacks. And in 100 games in Donald’s career, he has tallied 79.5 sacks, ranking 77th all-time.
Earlier this month, Donald posted four sacks against the Washington Football Team and later explained to reporters how he did it. “When I get opportunities to get those one-on-one blocks, I have to take advantage of it and I have to continue to do that, continue to get myself better and continue to try to be productive,” Donald said, per Pro Football Talk.
The Bears have been one of the surprising teams in the NFL. After finishing 8-8 last year, Chicago can have the best record in the NFC with a win tonight, despite the uncertainty at the QB position. The Rams finished with a 9-7 record last season and missed the playoffs. A win tonight would put them closer to the NFC West lead, which is held by the Seattle Seahawks.
