Bears

He played 12 seasons in the NFC North before he was traded to the Rams, so quarterback Matthew Stafford is no stranger to cold-weather games.

On Sunday night, when the Rams play the Chicago Bears in an NFC divisional-round at Soldier Field, game-time temperatures could include a wind-chill below zero degrees.

Stafford, citing historic NFL games that were played in tough weather, said on Wednesday that he would embrace the elements.

“There’s something to it, right, that feels right when football’s outdoors, you’re playing late in the year, it’s cold, it means a lot,” Stafford said, adding, “I know it’s going to be a great crowd there, and it’ll be a lot of fun.”

Stafford, 37, suffered a sprained right index finger Saturday against the Carolina Panthers but still passed for 304 yards and three touchdowns, with an interception, in the 34-31 wild-card victory.

On Wednesday, he said that he suffered no residual effects in the immediate aftermath, that the finger was feeling “great” and that it would not affect his ability to grip or throw the ball on Saturday.

“Whatever it was there is gone now,” he said.

Still, all eyes will be on Stafford, and how the finger might affect his performance, when the Rams play the Bears in only the third playoff matchup between the teams.

“Fortunately,” coach Sean McVay said, “Matthew’s played in these conditions.”

Stafford said he would wear a snug, warming layer under his uniform that he first used with the Lions. Cold weather does not bother him, he said, and each game requires unique adjustments.

“You can’t just bunch ‘em all together,” he said, adding, “You just kind of figure it out as you go.”

Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford passes against the Philadelphia Eagles in last season’s NFC divisional playoffs.

(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

Stafford has a 12-10 career record against the Bears. His 22 games against them is tied for the second most against any team, one behind the Minnesota Vikings.

He has a 5-7 record against the Bears at Soldier Field.

It did not go well for the Rams and Stafford the last time they played there. On Sept. 29, 2024, Stafford completed 20 of 29 passes for 224 yards, with an interception, in a 24-18 loss. The Rams had the ball with 1:03 left, but the Bears intercepted a pass to seal the Rams’ defeat.

Stafford played in two cold-weather games last season.

In late December against the New York Jets, the wind-chill factor was 14 degrees. Stafford completed 14 of 19 passes for 110 yards and a touchdown, with an interception, in a 19-9 victory.

In last season’s NFC divisional-round game at Philadelphia, with a wind-chill factor of 27 degrees, Stafford completed 26 of 44 passes for 324 yards and two touchdowns in a 28-22 defeat that ended with the Rams at the Eagles’ 22-yard line and an incomplete pass intended for Puka Nacua.

Now he faces a Bears defense that ranks poorly in most statistical categories, but leads the NFL with 23 interceptions. The unit also recovered 10 fumbles.

“That’s how they’ve thrived,” Stafford said.

During the regular season, the Bears gave up 24.4 points and 361.8 yards per game, which ranked 23rd and 28th, respectively, among 32 NFL teams. They were 27th in rushing defense (134.5 yards per game) and 22nd in pass defense (227.2)

Veteran safety Kevin Byard III had a league-best seven interceptions, cornerback Nahshon Wright five and linebacker Tremaine Edmunds four for a team that defeated the Green Bay Packers 27-24 in the wild-card round.

“They’ve got a… talented back end that catches the ball when it’s in their area,” Stafford said. “They do a nice job up front as well affecting the pocket.”

The Rams are preparing for Sunday in sunny and warm conditions in Woodland Hills. McVay joked that the Rams were going to get “the biggest cold plunge ever, and everybody’s going to see if we can sit in that thing for three hours.”

Hot or cold, the preparation will be the same, according to Stafford.

“We don’t care what the weather is here, what it is there,” he said. “Just go play.”

Matthew Stafford suffered a sprained right index finger in the Rams’ wild-card victory over the Carolina Panthers, but he will be ready for Sunday’s divisional-round game against the Bears in Chicago, coach Sean McVay said Monday.

“He’s as tough as it gets and will be good to go,” McVay said during a videoconference with reporters.

Stafford injured his finger Saturday when his hand hit the helmet of a Panthers player during the Rams’ 34-31 victory in Charlotte, N.C. He played through the issue and passed for 304 yards and three touchdowns, including a game-winner to tight end Colby Parkinson with 38 seconds left.

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Gary Klein breaks down what went right for the Rams in their 34-31 wild-card playoff victory over the Carolina Panthers.

In his postgame news conference, Stafford said he did not know what happened until he saw video that showed his finger bent backward.

“It wasn’t pleasant. It wasn’t great. We’ll see what it is,” said Stafford, who was not wearing a brace or splint. “Once the ball’s snapped, the adrenaline’s pretty good so we’ll hopefully just keep going.”

Stafford and the Rams are traveling to a cold-weather region, but Stafford has plenty of experience in those conditions, having played 12 seasons in the NFC North.

Temperatures in Chicago could be in the teens or lower when the Rams play the Bears, who defeated the Green Bay Packers, 31-27, Saturday at Soldier Field.

“Seems like it’s going to be pretty damn cold,” McVay said.

McVay said he was optimistic that offensive lineman Kevin Dotson, who has been sidelined for three games because of an ankle injury, would play against the Bears.

“We’re going to really push that thing and see how he feels with the optimism that there’s a good chance he makes it,” McVay said.

Tight end Terrance Ferguson (hamstring) and defensive back Josh Wallace (ankle) also could return after sitting out the last two games, McVay said. Cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon reinjured his shoulder against the Panthers and will be placed on injured reserve.

While the Rams are preparing for Sunday’s game, defensive coordinator Chris Shula, offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur and passing game coordinator Nate Scheelhaase will interview virtually with NFL teams hiring head coaches.

According to reports, Shula will interview for the Tennessee Titans, Miami Dolphins, Arizona Cardinals, New York Giants and Las Vegas Raiders head coaching jobs.

LaFleur will interview with the Cardinals and Raiders.

Scheelhaase will interview with the Cleveland Browns, Raiders and Baltimore Ravens.

“I’m not at all concerned about it being a distraction,” McVay said.

The Rams will play the Chicago Bears in an NFC divisional round game Sunday at Soldier Field in Chicago next weekend.

It’ll be the first playoff meeting between the teams since the NFC title game at the end of the 1985 season.

The No. 5-seeded Rams’ victory over the No. 4 Panthers on Saturday, combined with the No. 6 San Francisco 49ers’ 23-19 victory over the No. 3 Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday, set up the game between the Rams and Bears.

The Rams advanced by defeating the Carolina Panthers, 34-31, in a wild-card game at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, N.C. The No. 2-seeded Bears, under first-year coach Ben Johnson, defeated the No. 7 Green Bay Packers, 31-27, in another wild-card game Saturday.

The winner of the game between the Rams and Bears will play the winner of the game between the 49ers and the top-seeded Seattle Seahawks.

CHICAGO — Caleb Williams came through in his playoff debut, throwing a go-ahead, 25-yard touchdown pass to DJ Moore with 1:43 remaining, and the Chicago Bears rallied from an 18-point deficit to beat the rival Green Bay Packers 31-27 in a wild-card playoff game on Saturday night.

The NFC North champion Bears extended their resurgent first season under coach Ben Johnson with their seventh fourth-quarter comeback victory. They split two down-to-the-wire games with Green Bay in the regular season, and this one turned out to be a thriller when it looked like it would be a breeze for the Packers.

Chicago trailed 21-3 at halftime and 21-6 through three quarters, only to outscore Green Bay 25-6 in the fourth on the way to its first playoff win in 15 years.

Williams found a wide-open Moore along the left sideline to give Chicago a 31-27 lead with 1:43 remaining.

Jordan Love then led Green Bay into Chicago territory. But on third down at the 28, Jaquan Brisker broke up a pass in the end zone as time expired, setting off a wild celebration — and a curt handshake between Johnson and Packers coach Matt LaFleur.

The Bears will host a divisional-round game next weekend.

DENVER — Third time’s the charm?

Twice in club history, the Chargers lost playoff games at New England. It was the AFC championship game in the 2007 season and a divisional game in 2018.

That’s little more than a trivia answer, though, as the two teams are entirely different now. This matchup features two outstanding coaches in Jim Harbaugh and New England’s Mike Vrabel, and two elite quarterbacks in Justin Herbert and Drake Maye.

The Patriots haven’t seen many elite quarterbacks this season, instead beating a ho-hum collection of passers that includes Cam Ward, Spencer Rattler, Dillon Gabriel and 40-year-old Joe Flacco. New England did beat Kansas City’s Patrick Mahomes, and Buffalo star and reigning NFL MVP Josh Allen, knocking off the Bills in Week 5 before blowing a 21-0 lead to them in Week 15.

Of course, you play who’s on your schedule in the NFL, so you don’t pick the quarterbacks you face. And the Patriots have routinely gotten the job done. It’s just that Herbert could present a significant challenge.

That said, Herbert has yet to win a playoff game in six seasons, and he has been hit more than any quarterback in the league (witness his broken left hand).

The Patriots figure to lean heavily on their solid running attack to play ball-control in the frigid cold and make it three-for-three against their AFC foes from the opposite corner of the country.

Bristol: Rees-Zammit, Boshoff, Janse van Rensburg, Williams, Ravouvou; Jordan, Randall; Genge, Oghre, Chawatama, Rubiolo, Owen, Grondona, Harding (c), Mata.

Replacements: Thacker, Lahiff, Kloska, Taylor, Grondona, Marmion, Worsley, Heward.

Sale: Carpenter, O’Flaherty, du Preez, Ma’asi-White, Wills; Ford, Quirke; Rodd, Cowan-Dickie, Harper, Bamber, van Rhyn (c), Vermeulen, Dugdale, T Curry.

Replacements: Jibulu, McIntyre, Bell, Burrow, Gilmore, Warr, Louw, Wehr.

Yellow Card: Ma’asi-White.

Referee: Joe James.

Bristol: Rees-Zammit; Heward, Moroni, Williams, Ravouvou; Jordan, Randall; Lahiff, Thacker, Chawatama; Taylor, Batley, Owen, Harding (c), Mata.

Replacements: Oghre, Genge, Halliwell, Rubiolo, Ivanishvili, Wolstenholme, Worsley, Lane.

Sin bin: Kalaveti Ravouvou (77)

Red card 20 mins: Batley (66)

Newcastle: Grayson; Spencer, Hearle, Arnold, Obatoyinbo; Connon, Benitez Cruz; Brocklebank, McGuigan (c), McCallum; Usher, De Chaves, Gordon, Christie, Leatherbarrow.

Replacements: Fletcher, Hancock, Palframan, Baker, Mafi, Elliott, Hutchison, Chamberlain.

Referee: George Selwood

Harlequins: Kildunne; Torley, Pena, Parry, Wilcock; Cromack, Packer; Spurrier, Phillips, Hanlon, McIntosh, Konkel, Wythe, Mikaele-Tu’u, Wafer.

Replacements: Powell, Delgado, Winstanley, Fleming, Svoboda, Burgess, Powell, Aucken.

Bristol Bears: Hesketh; Bonner, Varley, Picton-Powell, David; Demant, Bevan; Pam, Dale, Bern, Cunningham, Ward (capt), Balogun, Buisa, Hopkins.

Replacements: Sprague, Botterman, Clarke, Herring, Short, Ryall, Skuse, Joyce.