Tonight’s Week 11 game between the Bears and Rams in Los Angeles has lost some of the luster from when it was scheduled for Sunday Night Football at the beginning of the season.
When the Bears beat the Rams 15-6 last December, it was an important stepping stone toward becoming the NFC North champions. The Rams, meanwhile, won four of their next five games in the regular season and playoffs to make it to the Super Bowl.
This year has been an example of how quickly things can change in the NFL. Both teams are third place in their divisions, with offenses that haven’t met high expectations — for varying reasons — behind quarterbacks Jared Goff and Mitch Trubisky
Sunday’s game, then is more about salvaging some respectability — and at least a shot at the playoffs.