(670 The Score) Football is almost here. Technically, college football has already been here, but pro football is almost here. And technically, pro football is already here too, but Bears football is almost here.
Come Sunday, your Justin Fields debates turn into Justin Fields pleas! The excitement only builds from here. In the meantime, can I interest you in three matchups to watch in the Bears-Rams game at Sofi Stadium in Los Angeles? You've already made it this far, so let's take a look.
Bears WR Darnell Mooney vs. Rams CB Jalen Ramsey
If you’re not counting the fight to stay awake past midnight, this might be the best battle of the entire evening – and that’s only, like, 50% because of Ramsey’s Insta-gating (it’s being workshopped) from a few months back. Ramsey earned PFF’s ninth-best coverage grade among all cornerbacks in 2020, and his reputation as someone who follows No. 1 receivers across the field seems a bit overblown: Ramsey lined up in the slot 173 times last year, the most snaps there of any season in his career. So for those who think that Ramsey is going to shadow Bears top receiver Allen Robinson all night, maybe adjust your expectations. The funniest part about Mooney’s game in Los Angeles last year is that it wasn’t actually *that* good or even really all that notable – he only caught three balls (on seven targets) for 40 yards. Rams defensive coordinator Raheem Morris will have plenty for Robinson to deal with, and the Bears more than likely aren’t going to “run the ball” with any “success,” so Mooney is going to get his chances. The Bears' 24-10 loss to the Rams in 2020 (and like 12 other games in the Mitchell Trubisky-Matt Nagy era) probably would've unfolded much differently if they would've connected on one or two deep balls, so here’s to hoping that the Bears’ new deep-ball wizard connects with Mooney once or twice. And if that doesn’t happen, here’s to hoping that Andy Dalton can do it too.
Rams DT Aaron Donald vs. Bears C Sam Mustipher
The good news is that Sam Mustipher knows what he’s getting into. Andddd that’s about it. That’s as good as the news gets when you’re lining up against Donald for 40-50 snaps. There's simply nothing that Donald is bad at. Mustipher’s first start of 2020 also came against Donald and the Rams, so at least he’s used to baptisms-by-pancakes? And that’ll be helpful? I don’t know. Donald had eight pressures and one sack in the Rams' win last year, and though Mustipher wasn’t at fault for the sack (atta boy!), he did allow three of those pressures (two hurries, one quarterback hit). The Bears' offensive line looked -- how do I put this? -- unstable in all three preseason games, and the quarterback who’s more equipped to deal with constant pressure will be sitting on the bench “learning” all the valuable lessons that (checks notes) being a backup has to offer. The Bears' fun win against the Rams in 2018 offered a bit of a blueprint on how to neutralize Donald, but if Chicago is going to have any chance Sunday, it should probably plan on interior help for most of the night and a bunch of three-step drop routes.
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Bears CB Kindle Vildor vs. Rams WRs Robert Woods/Cooper Kupp
All I’m absolutely sure about in regards to the Bears’ secondary is that absolutely no one is sure if the Bears really have one. After cornerback Jaylon Johnson and safety Eddie Jackson, it gets kinda dicey. A fun way to find out is putting them up against one of the two or three best offensive minds in football on national TV! What a rewarding experience being a Bears fan is. Vildor has flashed enough over the last year-plus to instill a bit of faith, but he is going to be stuck on either Kupp, Woods, Van Jefferson, DeSean Jackson – who’s on the Rams now?? – or Tutu Atwell, who once clocked a 4.27 40-yard dash at Louisville. If first-year Bears defensive coordinator Sean Desai is really the next coming of Vic Fangio, Sunday would be an awfully convenient time for that to manifest in full.
Cam Ellis is a writer for 670 The Score and Audacy Sports. Follow him on Twitter @KingsleyEllis.