The Chicago Bears are hoping to stun the football world on Sunday when they face the Los Angeles Rams, but it won’t be easy.
The Rams come into the game boasting the NFL’s best offense and an impressive defense under head coach Sean McVay, and they come into the game as betting favorites over Chicago.
Still, the frigid conditions at Soldier Field could make for an interesting Sunday on the lakefront, and the Bears are hoping to advance to the NFC Championship Game for the first time since 2011.
Here’s what to know about the game.
When is the game going to be played?
All we know at this moment is that the Bears and Rams will play at Soldier Field on Sunday.
The game time was set by the NFL late Monday night, with the two teams squaring off at 5:30 p.m. Sunday. The game will air on NBC Chicago.
What is the betting line for the game?
Even though the Bears are the home team and the higher seed in the matchup, they’re still an underdog at most sportsbooks, including a +3.5 at DraftKings.
The over-under for the game is at 51.5 points, according to the book.
What is the weather going to be like?
The Bears are totally used to playing in cold weather, but the Rams certainly are not.
According to current forecasts from the NBC 5 Storm Team, the temperature for Sunday’s game could be in the teens, making it one of the coldest games in Rams history.
According to Pro Football Reference, teams that primarily play their home games in domed stadiums have not fared well in outdoor playoff games when the temperature is below freezing, going just 2-15 in those games since 2000.
What is Matthew Stafford’s injury status?
Stafford suffered a sprained index finger on his throwing hand during Saturday’s win over the Carolina Panthers, head coach Sean McVay told media on Monday.
The coach did say that he fully expects Stafford to play in Sunday’s game against the Bears.
“He’s as tough as it gets, but he’s feeling good,” McVay said. “He was able to push through it, and he’ll be good to go.”
How do Caleb Williams, Matthew Stafford compare?
Stafford is coming off one of the best regular seasons of his career, throwing for a league-leading 4,707 yards and a league-leading 46 touchdowns. He also threw just eight interceptions, completing 65% of his passes.
As a result, Stafford was named a first-team All-Pro for the first time in his NFL career, and is considered one of the front-runners for NFL MVP.
In his second NFL season, Williams threw for 3,942 yards, setting a new Bears single-season record in the process. He also threw for 27 touchdowns and seven interceptions, completing 58.1% of his passes.
Williams has also set an NFL record for most fourth quarter comebacks in his first two seasons as a pro, leading the Bears to eight victories when they’ve trailed in the fourth quarter of games.
What is the Rams’ greatest strength?
The Rams had the NFL’s best offense during the 2025 season, racking up nearly 400 yards per game. They also led the league in passing yards per game with 268.1, and they rushed for 126.6 yards per game, good for seventh in the league.
Their scoring offense was also the league’s best, averaging 30.5 points per contest.
Most of their offense flowed through Puka Nacua, who racked up a staggering 129 receptions for 1,715 yards and 10 touchdowns, but Davante Adams was also a huge red zone threat, with 14 touchdowns on the season.
Not to be outdone, Kyren Williams rushed for 1,252 yards and 10 touchdowns, while Blake Corum had 746 rushing yards on the year.
What is their greatest weakness?
While the Rams did have one of the league’s better scoring defenses, allowing 20.4 points per game, they do allow 216.7 yards per game through the air, fifth worst among NFL playoff teams this season.
They also haven’t been as stout on defense in recent games as they were earlier in the season, allowing 30 points per game in their last five games, including 38 to the Seahawks and 31 to the Panthers.
One other thing to note, especially with how cold the weather will be at Soldier Field on Sunday: according to Aaron Schatz of ESPN, the Rams are extremely susceptible to short-yardage runs on third and fourth down, allowing opponents to convert on those types of plays 74% of the time, one of the worst percentages in the league.
Just how amazing have the Cardiac Bears been?
According to the NFL, the other 31 teams in the NFL are just 3-158 this season when they’ve been trailing by 10 or more points in the final five minutes of a game.
The Bears? They’re 3-3.
What are the things the Bears need to fix the most this week?
The Bears’ defense has been struggling to get off the field on third and fourth down in recent weeks, and they’ve also been struggling to get to the quarterback on their pass rush, which is allowing opposing quarterbacks to have big games.
Jordan Love racked up 322 passing yards against the Bears in Saturday’s game, and was only sacked once in the game. The Packers also converted on all three fourth downs they faced, though they were just 6-for-15 on third down.
It was a similar story against the Detroit Lions, with the Bears allowing 311 passing yards and sacking Jared Goff just once.
Needless to say, Stafford will feast on the Bears if they can’t put pressure on him, and they’ll have to do that without TJ Edwards, who is out for the year, and they may have to do it without defensive tackle Andrew Billings, who left Saturday’s game with an injury.
The other key for the Bears, especially on a cold day on the lakefront, will be to take advantage of their running game, both to advance the ball and to keep Stafford and company off the field.
The Bears managed just 65 rushing yards against the Lions in their season finale, and they were forced to largely abandon their run game against the Packers on Saturday, rushing for just 93 yards.
Losing Ozzy Trapilo for the season was a significant blow for the Bears, but it could be cushioned if they can get Braxton Jones back in the fold before Sunday.
The big key for the Bears will be to get the run game going behind Theo Benedt and Joe Thuney on the left side, but something else to watch will be the snaps of Drew Dalman, who had some issues getting Williams the ball during the Saturday game at Soldier Field.
What is the playoff history like between the two teams?
The last time the Bears and Rams squared off in a playoff game was the 1986 NFC Championship Game, with the Bears collecting a 24-0 win on the lakefront. The Rams managed just 130 total yards of offense in the game and turned the ball over three times, while Jim McMahon rushed for a touchdown and threw for another in the triumph.
The Rams beat the Bears in the teams’ other postseason meeting, capturing a 24-14 victory at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in 1950. The Rams racked up 371 yards of offense, including 280 passing yards from Bob Waterfield in the win.
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