The Chicago Bears may not be able to clinch a playoff spot with a win over the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday night, but they would certainly be able to make a massive statement if they can take down the top team in the NFL.
The Bears, who are coming off a 30-27 loss to the New York Giants a week ago, have an opportunity to right the ship against one of the most explosive offenses in the league, and they will be in for a stern test on both sides of the ball.
Here are the five key Bears players that could help them to win the game:
Tarik Cohen
The Bears are going to need some good outlets for quarterback Mitchell Trubisky to get the ball to in the face of a solid Los Angeles pass rush, and Cohen certainly qualifies. He will be tough for the Rams’ defense to keep contained, and his speed and elusiveness could help extend drives and make for a better evening at the office for the Chicago offense.
James Daniels
There’s really not much hope in completely stopping Rams superstar Aaron Donald, but the Bears will at least need a good performance to keep him mostly in check. That’s where Daniels and center Cody Whitehair are definitely going to come into play. They will need to play one of the best games of their respective careers to help keep Donald out of the Chicago backfield, and if they can, then Trubisky is going to be well poised to torch a defense that is susceptible to big plays on offense.
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Eddie Jackson
Jared Goff is one of the NFL’s most accurate passers when he fires the ball down the field, and that’s where good coverage from the second level of the team’s secondary should come from. Jackson is a ball hawk that is capable of making plays anywhere on the field, and if he can get an interception off of Goff in the game, then the Bears could be in really good shape.
Anthony Miller
The Bears could use a big game out of Cohen when they take the field, and Miller could really help out his quarterback as well. He was targeted just twice in the Bears’ Week 13 loss, and he’s going to need to get open a lot more than that against the Rams if Chicago wants to be successful.
Danny Trevathan
Here’s where things could get a bit tricky for the Bears. Running back Todd Gurley has been one of the most dynamic players in the NFL this season, and the Bears have several options if they want to put a “spy” on him in the game. Trevathan would seem to be a perfect candidate for that role, but Roquan Smith could also be assigned that position. Either way, stopping Gurley is a must if the Bears want to win, and it will be fascinating to see the way that defensive coordinator Vic Fangio tries to slow down the incredible back.
