Chicago Bears vs Los Angeles Rams – NFC Divisional Game Preview: Overview, Keys to Game, Insights
The Bears (12-6) staged another improbable comeback in the Wild Card game at Soldier Field Saturday night, scoring 25 points in the fourth quarter to knock the rival Packers out of the playoffs and advance to the divisional round. Chicago continued to live dangerously and survived thanks to magic from Caleb Williams in the final 10 minutes. They don’t have much time to savor the win, however, with the Rams waiting for them on Sunday.
Los Angeles (13-5) had to pull off their own last second rally to get by an unexpectedly scrappy Carolina Panthers team in their Wild Card contest Saturday. Coach Sean McVay had his team firing on all cylinders in the middle of the season before they squandered a chance to win the NFC West division in Seattle Week 16, blowing a 30-14 fourth quarter lead. They haven’t been as sharp since and finished with the 5th seed in the NFC.
The Rams offense is one of the best in football led by possible MVP Matthew Stafford, who has thrown for 46 touchdowns and over 4700 yards. Wide receiver Puka Nacua is one of the biggest weapons in the league and seems to be open constantly. Future Hall of Famer Davante Adams is the number two receiver and they have four different tight ends that are all capable of doing damage in the passing game.
The running backs aren’t too bad either for Los Angeles with the two-headed monster of Kyren Williams and Blake Corum combining for almost 2000 yards and 16 touchdowns. The offensive line has had a few injuries but has done a very good job in protection for most of the season.
The Rams defense has been much more inconsistent over the course of 2025. The strong suit is definitely the defensive line with Byron Young, Jared Verse, and Kobie Turner combining for 26.5 sacks. Linebacker Nate Landman made big plays all season long with a knack for forcing turnovers.
LA has had significant issues with the secondary, especially down the stretch of the season. They are vulnerable to deep passes in the middle of the field and have been torched by several rangy wide receivers. Special teams were such a problem for the Rams that their special teams coordinator was fired part way through the year.
The Bears have had an amazing ability to recover from adversity throughout the season this year and their confidence seems to be growing. They have home field advantage and it’s going to be bitterly cold for Sunday’s game. Ben Johnson and company are playing with house money at this point, let’s see if they can keep the fun going to the NFC Championship.
Where to Watch/Listen
- Sunday, January 18 at 5:30pm CT on NBC, WBBM Radio (English), and WRTO Radio (Spanish).
Keys to Victory
Here are my keys to Sunday’s game. If these things happen, the Bears should have a shot to win.
- Force turnovers. When the Rams have struggled it’s been when Stafford turns the ball over. The Bears will probably give up yards so takeaways can help limit the damage.
- Take deep shots throughout the game. Williams needs to go for big plays to his tall wide receivers, Rome Odunze and Luther Burden III, to strain LA’s shaky secondary.
- Make something happen on special teams. The Rams have been horrible in the kicking game with a blocked punt almost costing them the Panthers game. It should be a real area of advantage for Chicago.
- Don’t let Nacua wreck the game. The All Pro wide receiver can have a massive impact on the outcome all by himself, so the Bears at least have to try to make someone else beat them.
Don’t Tell Me the Odds
The Rams are favored by 3.5 points on the road at Soldier Field Sunday. Vegas oddsmakers expect a pretty high scoring game despite the cold with an over/under set at 48.5.
It’s Football Weather
The temperature for Sunday’s game will be in the high teens with southwest wind at 17 miles an hour and a chance of snow showers.
My Prediction
The cold weather will affect the offenses for both teams at least somewhat. The Bears will slightly trail entering the fourth quarter and will again take the lead on more heroics from Williams. The Rams will have a chance for a winning field goal at the end of the game but Chicago will block it and win by a score of 23-21.
Official NFL Preview
Here is the official preview of the Rams-Bears Divisional Round matchup from the NFL.
