The Chicago Bears are preparing to host the Los Angeles Rams at Soldier Field, and needless to say, fans will need to bundle up.
That’s because the game-time temperature could potentially be in the teens, with even colder wind chills, at Soldier Field on Sunday, making for a memorable atmosphere at the iconic stadium.
The question then is this: how will the Rams, a team that plays its games in the warm environs of SoFi Stadium in California, fare when they have to come outdoors to take on the Bears in the NFC Divisional Round?
According to Pro Football Reference’s Stathead tool, teams that play their home games in domes haven’t exactly covered themselves in glory when they have to venture outdoors in the playoffs. In 17 games played outdoors when the temperature is below freezing since 2000, those dome-dwelling teams are just 2-15, according to the statistics.
The Rams themselves have had mixed results in outdoor games since Sean McVay took over as their head coach. In nine games played with the temperature below 40 degrees, the Rams are 4-5 under McVay’s leadership, and when the temperature is below freezing, they are 2-2, including a loss to the Bears.
The Rams are 1-2 in playoff games under McVay when the temperature is under 40 degrees, including a loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in the 2025 playoffs.
As for the Bears, they have played a staggering 119 games when the game-time temperature was 32 degrees or below, and their record is almost a perfect split, sitting at 59-59-1 in those games.
In playoff games when the mercury is at or below freezing, the Bears are 8-4, including Saturday’s win over the Green Bay Packers at Soldier Field.
It’s hardly shocking that the Bears are relishing the chance to play in the cold weather on Sunday, and head coach Ben Johnson expressed his joy at the possibilities of a frigid showdown.
“I like the cold. I do like the cold,” he said.
He also said that while he is aware of the narrative surrounding the Rams and their trip to a cold-weather city, he also knows that Matthew Stafford is plenty used to playing games outdoors from his time with the Detroit Lions.
“I do know this will be the coldest game they’ve played. That’s something that I recognize,” he said. “But, you know, I think the fact that Matthew Stafford is played well in cold games in his past, I don’t know how much of an advantage it gives you over their passing game necessarily. But there’s a lot of elements that go into a game like this.”
For those curious, the coldest playoff game the Rams have ever competed in came during the 1969 postseason when they lost 23-20 to the Minnesota Vikings on a day where the temperature was 11 degrees at kickoff.
As for the Bears, they played one of the coldest playoff games in NFL history when they hosted Washington in the 1988 playoffs, losing 21-17 at Soldier Field with an air temperature of just four degrees above zero.
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