Rob Staton: Bears
There’s just a bit of magic about the Bears at the moment and the Rams have not played their best football in weeks. Soldier Field will be rocking and I think Chicago make it to the NFC Championship.
Mike White: Rams
The Chicago Bears’ renaissance has been nothing short of remarkable and Ben Johnson deserves a tonne of credit for it. As does Caleb Williams who’s defied a lot of the (justified) rookie season critics in his second year.
That said, this is a Rams team that many have been crowning as the champions-elect for weeks and not without good reason. Whether it’s offensive guru Sean McVay, the experience and MVP qualities of Matthew Stafford or the magic hands of Puka Nacua, they have all the ingredients for another Super Bowl run. The predicted Arctic conditions might be somewhat of a leveller but still taking the Rams by four.
Phil McGeoghan: Rams
I am such a fan of Sean McVay. His mind, the way it works, his gameplans, also his humour. His willingness to be open. All these things matter in football.
Because of his personality and how he is with the players, he admires his guys. He doesn’t pretend Davante Adams isn’t one of the best to ever do it. He doesn’t pretend he’s not in awe of Matthew Stafford when he makes one of his no-look throws. That stuff really builds culture.
That’s why they’ve won Super Bowls, that’s why people don’t leave there unless they get promoted and get better jobs, because McVay is such a good man and he’s a brilliant, brilliant offensive mind so I’m picking Sean McVay and the Rams for those reasons.
Paul Higham: Bears
Only four quarterbacks have thrown for 140-plus yards and two touchdowns in the fourth quarter of a play-off win in the past 20 years – and two of them collide at Soldier Field.
So this genuinely could be decided by whether Matthew Stafford or Caleb Williams, who have combined for 29 fourth-quarter touchdowns this season, has the ball last after both earned thrilling late wins last week.
Williams has been doing it all season though, and watching last week even when they were well behind it seemed inevitable the Bears would come roaring back to win. It just gives you a funny feeling that they’ve got something special rolling in the Windy City.