The Los Angeles Rams rebounded from their Week 6 loss to the San Francisco 49ers by stifling the Chicago Bears. The Rams' defense allowed just 279 net yards and three points in a 24-10 win over the Bears.
Taylor Rapp made an end-zone interception on a pass deflection by Troy Hill. The Rams held Chicago to 182 yards over the first three quarters in building a 24-3 lead. Josh Reynolds and Gerald Everett caught touchdown passes from Jared Goff, who threw for 219 yards. Eddie Jackson returned a fumble eight yards with 7 1/2 minutes remaining for Chicago's only touchdown. Nick Foles passed for 261 yards for the Bears, who managed just 49 yards on the ground. Both teams are 5-2.
In NFL news:
Cleveland Browns wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. will miss the rest of the season because of a torn knee ligament. Beckham was hurt early in Sunday's 37-34 win at Cincinnati. Beckham's second season in Cleveland ended when his left leg buckled while running to try and make a tackle after Baker Mayfield's first pass was intercepted.
Carolina Panthers coach Matt Rhule said "it's a possibility" star running back Christian McCaffrey could return to action Thursday night against Atlanta. McCaffrey was back on the practice field Monday wearing a red jersey signifying an injured player and he remains on the team's injured reserve list for now. He did not practice, working instead with the training staff. The 2019 All-Pro running back has missed the past five games with a high ankle sprain. McCaffrey was off to a solid start with 223 yards from scrimmage and four touchdowns in the first two games. He left a Week 2 loss to the Buccaneers in the fourth quarter and hasn't practiced since.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
Wisconsin coach Paul Chryst isn't discussing quarterback Graham Mertz's status following reports that the redshirt freshman has tested positive for COVID-19. Chryst did say he was confident the ninth-ranked Badgers' game Saturday at Nebraska would go on as scheduled. Big Ten protocols say that athletes who test positive through point-of-contact daily testing must take a polymerase chain reaction test to confirm the first result. The athlete can't play again for at least 21 days if the PCR test confirms the first result.
Elsewhere in college football:
No. 10 Florida resumed meetings and practices Monday for the first time in two weeks. The Gators got back to work after 30 players and coaches tested positive for COVID-19, causing the Southeastern Conference to postpone two of the team's games. The Gators are scheduled to host Missouri on Saturday.
Purdue coach Jeff Brohm says he plans to return to the sideline Saturday at Illinois. Brohm has been in self-isolation for more than a week since testing positive for COVID-19. Big Ten rules require him to isolate for 10 days before returning to work.
Missouri wide receiver Maurice Massey has been dismissed from the team after he was arrested during the weekend. Boone County Sheriff's department records show Massey was arrested Sunday on suspicion of third-degree domestic assault, fourth-degree assault and first-degree property damage.
The SEC has fined Mississippi coach Lane Kiffin $25,000 for his complaints about officiating on social media following Saturday's loss to Auburn. The conference also said the replay official should have stopped play to review the call after Mississippi's fourth-quarter kickoff appeared to have touched the right hand of Auburn's Shaun Shivers. The Rebels recovered in the end zone, but the on-field call was that Shivers didn't touch it and play wasn't halted for a review.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL
ESPN won't hold college basketball tournaments in a Florida bubble next month. ESPN Events issued a statement Monday saying it had "set out to create a protected environment" in Orlando, but those plans changed due to "certain challenges surrounding testing protocols." ESPN Events says it will resume those events next season. ESPN Events lists 10 college basketball tournaments and doubleheaders on its website originally scheduled for the upcoming season. Those events include the Champions Classic that annually features Duke, Kansas, Kentucky and Michigan State. They also include the Preseason NIT, the Jimmy V Classic and the Orlando Invitational.
NHL
Longtime NHL defenseman Trevor Daley has retired to take a position in the Pittsburgh Penguins front office. Daley played 16 seasons in the NHL and helped the Penguins to consecutive Stanley Cups in 2016 and 2017. The 37-year-old Daley spent the last three seasons with the Detroit Red Wings. He retires with 89 goals and 220 assists in 1,058 career games.
MLB
The New York Mets have claimed infielder Robel García off waivers from the Cincinnati Reds and designated outfielder Ryan Cordell for assignment. The 27-year-old García didn’t play in the majors this year while being a part of the Reds’ 60-man player pool. The switch-hitting García made his big league debut in 2019 with the Cubs, batting .208 with five home runs and 11 RBIs in 31 games. The 28-year-old Cordell went 1 for 8 in five games for the Mets this year. He is career .202 with eight home runs in three seasons with the Chicago White Sox and Mets.
NASCAR
NASCAR now hopes to resume its Cup Series playoff race at Texas Motor Speedway on Tuesday, but the forecast may not cooperate. Similar weather conditions were in the forecast for Tuesday and into Wednesday. The race was stopped on Sunday because of drizzle and misty conditions that allowed drivers to complete just 52 of 334 laps. Another 115 laps have to be completed to get to the halfway mark of 167 laps that would make Texas an official race.
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