How do you follow up the greatest postseason comeback in franchise history? How does a team move past the dramatic high of beating an archrival in a playoff game in front of its home fans?
In the NFL, the only thing to do is move forward. The Chicago Bears have to do that this week. Last weekend’s 31-27 win — an 18-point comeback — over the Green Bay Packers is in the rearview. Sunday’s matchup against the Los Angeles Rams is looming large in front of them.
With it comes a matchup against MVP candidate Matthew Stafford at quarterback and Super Bowl-winning coach Sean McVay.
The Bears (11-6) square off against the Rams (12-5) on Sunday at Soldier Field (5:30 p.m., NBC-5/Peacock). The Bears beat the Packers on Saturday, while the Rams scored a touchdown in the final minute to beat the Carolina Panthers in the wild-card round.
Here are five things to watch for ahead of the divisional-round matchup — plus the Tribune’s predictions for the game.
1. The old vs. the new
Not so long ago, McVay was the shiny new thing. He was a few days shy of his 31st birthday when the Rams hired him to be their head coach in 2017. With No. 1 draft pick Jared Goff coming off a disastrous rookie season, McVay stepped in and led the Rams to an 11-win season in his first year. A year later, they were in the Super Bowl.
In 2025, Bears coach Ben Johnson was the NFL’s next promising offensive guru who became a head coach in his 30s. Much like McVay and the Rams, Johnson inherited a No. 1 draft pick who went through some struggles as a rookie. The Bears also turned it around and won 11 games this season.
Now, McVay and Johnson, both 39 — McVay will turn 40 the day before next week’s NFC championship game — will square off for the first time in Sunday’s divisional-round game.
They are no strangers. As the offensive coordinator in Detroit, Johnson went up against McVay and the Rams in what became the first Lions playoff victory in 32 years in January 2024. They squared off again about six months later in the 2024 season opener (the Lions won that one in overtime).
McVay gained a healthy level of respect for Johnson’s offenses in preparation for those games.
“The guys that do the best job are the ones that you can see there’s a true understanding of what defenses are doing,” McVay said, “and an intent to try to be able to manipulate a lot of the rules and the coaching points and to really try to attack your front mechanics, your coverage contours, understand some of the percentages of what you’re doing situationally, and then being able to maximize his player skill sets. You could see there’s a philosophy and core beliefs in terms of how he wants to build it.”
Bears coach Ben Johnson looks on from the sideline in the second quarter against the Lions on Jan. 4, 2026, at Soldier Field. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)
Since coming to Chicago, Johnson made sure to have quarterback Caleb Williams study Stafford’s film, particularly his footwork. The Bears worked hard to reorient Williams’ footwork.
In shotgun formations, Williams lines up with his left foot forward. That was an adjustment made under Johnson, and it’s a starting stance that Stafford has perfected.
“His feet are always under him,” Williams said. “He can make any throw at any time. The guy’s in his face, O-linemen may be getting pushed back, not looking — all these different things — and it comes down to his feet. He ties the routes with his receivers — the timing, all of that — with his feet.
Oh, and there is one other thing.
“Obviously, he has a cannon,” Williams added.
This will not be the first meeting between Stafford and Williams. They played in Week 4 in 2024, with the Bears edging the Rams 24-18.
2. Player in the spotlight
Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford throws during the second half against the Seahawks on Dec. 18, 2025, in Seattle. (Lindsey Wasson/AP)
Rams QB Matthew Stafford
Is this Stafford’s MVP moment? He already won one Super Bowl, but he put up a strong argument during the 2025 regular season that he deserves his first MVP award.
Stafford led the NFL with 4,707 passing yards and 46 passing touchdowns. He led the No. 1 offense in both points (30.5) and total yards (394.6) per game.
The Bears will need to work hard to disrupt Stafford’s rhythm. Doing so will be a challenge because this Bears team has struggled to create pressure without blitzing, but Stafford’s numbers against the blitz are mind-boggling — 32 touchdowns and one interception.
“He does a lot of things well,” Bears defensive tackle Grady Jarrett said. “I think that’s one of the reasons he’s held in as high of regard as he is. He just really understands football really well. He’s up there making checks, finding a way to get the open guy open or knowing where the checkdown is.”
Jarrett said the Bears are going to have to earn the right to rush the passer by stopping the run. The Rams had the seventh-best rushing attack in the NFL during the regular season at 126.6 yards per game. Kyren Williams finished sixth with 1,252 rushing yards.
Much like Johnson’s offense, McVay is going to try to create mismatches and advantages with unique formations and a heavy amount of presnap motion. That can cause issues on the back end if the linebackers and defensive backs aren’t on top of things.
“There is a lot of unorthodox things I would say he does,” cornerback Jaylon Johnson said. “But ultimately, each thing they do, they have a reason for doing it. So again, you just have to study. Be on top of why they’re doing what they’re doing and what they’re trying to attack when they’re doing it.”
3. Is the cold weather an advantage for the Bears?
Bears cornerback Nahshon Wright (26) and teammates warm up to face the Browns on Dec. 14, 2025, at Soldier Field. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune)
Jarrett saves his long sleeves for when he really needs it. Last week against the Packers, when the high was 41 degrees and the low was 26, didn’t qualify.
This week, he’s anticipating breaking out the sleeves and possibly a thermal mask.
“When you get to zero and below, I’m going to pull out the gear,” Jarrett, 32, said. “I’m not going to sit here and act (tough). I’m a Georgia boy. I can fight through the 20-30 degrees and have a good day without sleeves. I do think this might be a gear week.”
The high temperature Thursday in Los Angeles was 84. At Halas Hall in Lake Forest, where the Bears practiced outside with no heaters, it was 24. The National Weather Service forecasts a high of 21 on Sunday in Chicago with a slight chance of snow.
The Bears have done this a million times. Safety Kevin Byard III pointed out that Ben Johnson doesn’t let his team have heaters during practice (which they typically have along the sidelines on game days). That’s been a point of contention with some of the players, but in retrospect it prepared the team for games like this.
This Bears team already played in one of the coldest games ever at Soldier Field against the Cleveland Browns on Dec. 14. All three games against the Packers were cold. They faced the Philadelphia Eagles on a cold late-November day with gusty winds.
Weather-wise, this is nothing new. The Rams, on the other hand, haven’t played in very many cold games at all.
Bears cornerback C.J. Gardner-Johnson warned against putting too much stock into the weather. He was on the Eagles last year when they battled the Rams through a snowy divisional-round playoff game. The Eagles won 28-22, but the Rams put up the best fight that the Super Bowl champions saw in the postseason.
“We talking about weather? Whoop-de-do,” Gardner-Johnson said. “Weather don’t affect nobody if you ask me. I feel like when it’s win or go home, that’s what affects you more than the weather.”
4. Keep an eye on …
Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua (12) celebrates with Davante Adams after scoring a touchdown against the 49ers on Nov. 9, 2025, in Santa Clara, Calif. (Jeff Lewis/AP)
Rams WRs Puka Nacua and Davante Adams
The Rams have two of the best receivers in the NFL in Nacua and Adams. Nacua finished second in the league with 1,715 receiving yards and first with 129 receptions, while Adams led the NFL with 14 touchdown receptions.
The only similar one-two punch the Bears faced this season was Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins with the Cincinnati Bengals. Even with Joe Flacco at quarterback, the Bengals put up 42 points in a wild 47-42 Bears win.
Nacua and Adams will test the Bears secondary. Nacua arguably has been the best receiver in the NFL this season.
“He does everything,” Byard said. “They throw him screens, intermediate routes, deeper routes. His hands are incredible.”
Cornerback Jaylon Johnson battled with Adams when he was first breaking into the league and Adams was still playing with Aaron Rodgers in Green Bay.
“Anytime you get to play against a player like that, potential Hall of Fame guy, it’s something you want to do,” Jaylon Johnson said.
5. Injury updates
Bears linebacker D’Marco Jackson (48) tackles Browns wide receiver Gage Larvadain during the fourth quarter Dec. 14, 2025, at Soldier Field. (Dominic Di Palermo/Chicago Tribune)
In the wild-card round against the Packers, the Bears lost linebacker T.J. Edwards and left tackle Ozzy Trapilo to season-ending injuries. Both players went on injured reserve this week. The Bears will look to backup linebacker D’Marco Jackson and backup tackle Theo Benedet to step up in those roles.
Those would qualify as two major absences. Otherwise, the Bears are quite healthy this week. Cornerback Nick McCloud (groin) is the only player on the 53-man roster who sat out practice Thursday.
Receivers DJ Moore (knee) and Rome Odunze (foot) were limited in practice Thursday. Everybody else was a full participant. Odunze returned last week following a five-game absence because of the foot injury.
“I feel good,” Odunze said Thursday. “Obviously went out there and competed (against the Packers), so I feel good. There’s a little bit of inflammation, different things you have to deal with, but nothing too concerning.”
For the Rams, right guard Kevin Dotson has been on the injury report with an ankle injury. Stafford is nursing a finger injury on his throwing hand, but the Rams said he should be good to go.
Predictions
Brad Biggs (13-5)
It’s going to be really cold, but the Bears are going to need to be ready for a track meet against the high-powered Rams offense. Defensive coordinator Dennis Allen figures to get creative to come up with ways to minimize explosive plays for quarterback Matthew Stafford and receivers Puka Nacua and Davante Adams. It’s going to be tricky because Stafford can pick apart zones and has proved to be lethal against the blitz. The Rams also are seventh in the league in the red zone, where the Bears have been strong in games in which they’ve given up a ton of yardage. But the Rams also have the league’s seventh-ranked rushing attack, and Sean McVay will stick with it. Including the wild-card round, the Rams have averaged 30.7 rushes in their last six games. The Bears need the game of the season from the defensive line to find a path to victory and they probably need a couple of big plays on special teams. Otherwise, as thrilling as Caleb Williams has been in clutch time, the Bears could be chasing. The Rams have holes in their secondary, but the defensive front is talented across the board.
Rams 34, Bears 28
Sean Hammond (13-5)
I’ve been saying all season that the team with the best quarterback is going to make it out of the NFC. I still think that team is the Rams. It’s just too hard for me to pick against Stafford in a season like this. This Bears team has defied expectations all year, but I’m not so sure they’re going to do it again. If there is a path for the Bears, they need to run the ball well and keep it out of Stafford’s hands. I’m not so confident the Bears defense can slow Nacua and Adams.
Rams 35, Bears 31
Phil Thompson (11-6)
Let’s get two things out of the way: Yes, I picked the Bears to beat the Packers last week; no, they had no business beating the Packers last week. What I had in mind when I made my wild-card prediction isn’t at all how it played out, though the outcome was the same. But the X-factor — the possibility of an impossible comeback — can never be dismissed with these unpredictable Bears. It’s hard to apply conventional wisdom (that, on paper, the Rams should stomp the Bears) when the Bears have defied convention all season. And I have questions about the Rams. Will Matthew Stafford’s injured finger linger? Can Caleb Williams exploit a key injury in the Rams secondary? How much will the cold at Soldier Field affect the Rams, especially a vulnerable special teams unit that fired its coordinator last month. And how did a supposed powerhouse like the Rams find themselves in a dogfight with the Carolina Panthers — twice — losing once in the regular season and barely beating them last week to reach the divisional round. If it sounds like I’m talking myself into taking the Bears, maybe I am.
Bears 28, Rams 27
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/16/chicago-bears-los-angeles-rams-playoffs-predictions/
