Rams defeat Chicago in an overtime thriller to advance to NFC title game

CHICAGO — Rams coach Sean McVay let his beard grow beyond his typical five-o’clock shadow, ostensibly to keep his face warm.

Quarterback Matthew Stafford donned his neoprene undergarment. Some Rams players put cayenne pepper in their socks to keep the heat in their feet.

It worked.

On a snowy, windy Sunday night, the Rams rode Stafford’s hot-at-the-right time arm, the Rams secondary’s hot-at-naysayers attitude, and kicker Harrison Mevis’ warm-and-fuzzy homecoming for a 20-17 overtime victory over the Chicago Bears in the NFC divisional playoffs before a crowd of 60,253 at Soldier Field.

Mevis, who grew up two hours from the stadium, won it with a 42-yard field goal that sent the Rams to the NFC championship game.

“Hell of a deal right there,” McVay said of his team’s resilience.

🏈 Rams 20, Bears 17 — FINAL (OVERTIME)

Harrison Mevis kicked a 42-yard field goal in overtime to lift the fifth-seeded Rams to an overtime victory over the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field.

The Rams will play on the road against the top-seeded Seattle Seahawks in the NFC championship game on Jan. 25, with the winner advancing to the Super Bowl.

A 16-yard reception by Puka Nacua moved the Rams into field-goal range during overtime.

After Colby Parkinson caught a 15-yard pass, Davante Adams made a spectacular, toe-dragging catch on a perfect pass from Stafford for 12 yards to help fuel the winning drive.

🏈 Rams 17, Bears 17 — 6:17 left in overtime

Kam Curl intercepted a pass from Caleb Williams — the Rams’ third interception of the game — to put the ball back in Matthew Stafford’s hands.

The Bears were driving, with Williams scrambling for four yards on third down for a first down before he converted on fourth-and-one on an off-tackle dive through the line.

Williams then tried to find DJ Moore on a deep pass only for Curl to leap in front and pick off the pass.

The Rams took over at their 22-yard line.

🏈 Rams 17, Bears 17 — 12:42 left in overtime

The Rams go three-and-out on the first possession of overtime after the Bears stuff Blake Corum for a one-yard loss on third down.

The drive started with an eight-yard run by Kyren Williams before fizzling.

If Chicago scores on its possession, it wins the game. The Bears took over at their 16-yard line.

🏈 Rams 17, Bears 17 — END OF REGULATION

In an insane play, a backtracking Caleb Williams connected on a 14-yard touchdown pass to Bears tight end Cole Kmet in the end zone to tie the score with 18 seconds left in regulation and force overtime.

Williams was on the verge of being sacked on fourth down and heaved the ball to the end zone, with Kmet wide open to make the catch.

Colston Loveland caught an 18-yard pass before D’Andre Swift picked up 13 yards to move the ball to the Rams’ 20. Williams then connected on a six-yard pass to Luther Burden III for six yards.

A 33-yard punt by Ethan Evans gave the Bears prime field position at the 50-yard line with 1:50 on the clock.

The Rams got the ball first in overtime.

🏈 Rams 17, Bears 10 — 3:03 left in the fourth quarter

Omar Speights broke up a pass intended for Luther Burden III at the goal line on fourth down to thwart the Bears’ best chance for a touchdown in the second half so far.

Speights’ huge defensive play came after Quentin Lake brought down a leaping D’Andre Swift on third down to prevent a potential touchdown.

A spectacular 17-yard reception by Rome Odunze moved the Bears to the Rams’ five-yard line, but the Bears couldn’t punch it in past the stingy Rams defense.

🏈 Rams 17, Bears 10 — 8:50 left in the fourth quarter

Kyren Williams scored on a five-yard touchdown run around the outside to push the Rams back into the lead.

Williams benefited from good blocking by Puka Nacua and Colby Parkinson to find an opening on the outside. A play earlier, Nacua converted on fourth-and-one when he picked up two yards on a reverse carry.

A 35-yard reception by Parkinson was the biggest play of the 14-play, 91-yard drive.

Later, on third down, Stafford found Nacua across the middle for 13 yards. Davante Adams then made his first catch for a 12-yard gain, but he got up slowly before heading to the sideline medical tent.

🏈 Rams 10, Bears 10 — End of third quarter

Jared Verse tackled Bears running back Kyle Monangai for a loss to cap a scoreless third quarter in the wind and snow at Soldier Field.

The Rams couldn’t find any rhythm on offense, punting on all three of their third-quarter possessions and going three-and-out on two of them.

The Bears really fared no better — punting at the end of a nine-play drive before Cobie Durant picked off Caleb Williams for the second time in the game.

Matthew Stafford has completed 14 of 30 passes for 155 yards and Kyren Williams has 34 yards and a touchdown in seven carries. Jordan Whittington leads all Rams receivers with 35 yards on two receptions.

Williams has completed 15 of 26 passes for 170 yards with a touchdown.

🏈 Rams 10, Bears 10 — HALFTIME

Harrison Mevis kicked a 32-yard field goal as time expired in the first half to tie the score.

The Rams got the ball with 1 minute 5 seconds left in the second quarter and drove to the Bears’ 14-yard line before Matthew Stafford threw three passes that fell incomplete.

Stafford has completed 12 of 24 passes for 144 yards.

Bears quarterback Caleb Williams has completed 13 of 19 passes for 155 yards and a touchdown, with an interception.

🏈 Bears 10, Rams 7 — 1:10 left in the second quarter

Cairo Santos kicked a 48-yard field goal to give the Bears their first lead.

The Bears got the ball after sacking Matthew Stafford on third down and forcing a punt.

Caleb Williams connected with receiver Rome Odunze on a 27-yard pass that moved the Bears to the Rams’ 35-yard line. But the drive stalled, bringing on Santos.

Wiliams has completed 13 of 19 passes for 155 yards and a touchdown, with an interception.

🏈 Rams 7, Bears 7 — 14:55 left in the second quarter

Caleb Williams connected with receiver DJ Moore for a three-yard touchdown pass on fourth down to tie the score.

Williams led a 12-play, 80-yard scoring drive.

Williams completed passes to Luther Burden III, Olamide Zaccheaus and Colston Loveland during the drive. D’Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai also made key gains.

Williams has completed five of eight passes for 80 yards and a touchdown, with an interception.

🏈 Rams 7, Bears 0 — 6:20 left in the first quarter

Kyren Williams gave the Rams the lead with a four-yard touchdown run.

Rams cornerback Cobie Durant set up the scoring drive by intercepting a pass by Caleb Williams inside the Rams’ 20-yard line.

The turnover set up a 14-play, 85-yard march that included Matthew Stafford mid-range passes to Puka Nacua, Davante Adams and Jordan Whittington and short passes to Williams.

Stafford completed six of 10 passes for 67 yards.

Special teams could play a pivotal role when the Rams play the Bears in an NFC divisional-round game at Soldier Field.

Ben Kotwica, the Rams’ interim special teams coordinator, grew up in Chicago.

“It’s neat to go back home,” Kotwica said. “That ‘85 Bears team was right in my wheelhouse during those times.”

Kotwica said windy conditions during the Rams’ 34-31 wild-card victory over the Carolina Panthers in Charlotte, N.C., provided “a good test-case” for what they might encounter at Soldier Field. Harrison Mevis kicked two field goals and four extra points in the victory.

“It gets exacerbated at times to be transparent with you,” Kotwica said of discussions about the weather. “Wind can obviously be a factor. But with the cold, they have heated benches.

“Again, last week with Harrison, specifically his ability to handle that wind, I think it was a good experience for him.”

The Rams, however, gave up a blocked punt against the Panthers that led to a touchdown.

Kotwica, who was elevated to his position after coach Sean McVay fired Chase Blackburn in late December, said the Rams were set up to protect correctly, but one player got beat.

“We’ll learn from it,” he said. “We’ll be better for it.”

Rams receiver Davante Adams played eight seasons for the Green Bay Packers, so cold-weather games are nothing new to the 12th-year pro.

It will be business as usual for Adams when the Rams play the Bears in an NFC divisional-round game at Soldier Field.

“Different people have tricks to the trade, but I just go out there,” Adams said. “I’ve never worn sleeves in a game in my career. It is what it is. It’s going to be freezing out there, but you just have to figure it out.”

This will be Adams’ second game since returning from a hamstring injury that sidelined the three-time All-Pro for three games. Adams, who led the NFL with 14 touchdown catches during the regular season, caught five passes for 72 yards in the Rams’ wild-card victory over the Carolina Panthers, but he appeared limited at times.

“There’s going to be a little bit of rust any time you take a little bit of time away from game action,” Adams said. “It takes you a little bit of time to get back into it.”

Whew.

The best nearly went bust.

The heavy favorites nearly collapsed under their own weight.

The Rams were nearly toppled by the runts, barely surviving what should have been a blowout, profusely sweating through a wild-card playoff game that should have been a breeze, and now you wonder.

If their first step toward the Super Bowl is going to be this ungainly, how much longer can they stay upright?

Here are the players who will not be suiting up for the Rams and Bears on Sunday:

The Rams’ running game and pass protection could get a boost if right guard Kevin Dotson returns as expected against the Bears.

Dotson, a sixth-year pro, sat out the last three games because of an ankle injury suffered on Dec. 18 against the Seattle Seahawks.

Justin Dedich has started in Dotson’s place, but Dotson practiced this week and coach Sean McVay said he would start against the Bears.

“To be able to get a physical player [back], his energy, his swag and his presence is excellent for us,” McVay said. “I do feel a lot of confidence in Justin, but the expectation and the anticipation is Kevin’s going to be ready to go and start.”

Quarterback Matthew Stafford welcomes the return of the 6-foot, 4-inch, 328-pound Dotson.

“He’s a mountain of a man,” Stafford said, adding, “When he was playing this year, I thought he was one of the best guards, if not the best guard in the league.

“If we can get him back, that would be a huge boost.”

Don’t look for Jared Verse to appear bare-chested on Sunday night at Soldier Field in Chicago.

In 2024, before a late-December game against the New York Jets in New Jersey, Verse and other Rams outside linebackers apparently tried to make a point about their toughness by going through warmups in a 20-degree temperature sans shirts.

Verse said Thursday that former Rams linebacker Michael Hoecht instigated the demonstration.

Jerry Jones, the NFL’s premier mover and shaker, sprinkled table salt onto the rim of his beer can in his makeshift office at Dallas Cowboys training camp in Oxnard. It was a memorable moment before he dispensed an important piece of advice.

“Keep your eyes on Stan Kroenke,” the colorful Cowboys owner said in his familiar Arkansas twang, easing back in his desk chair.

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, 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.

Sean McVay, taking a cue from quarterback Matthew Stafford, will don an upper-body neoprene undergarment. Perhaps a heated vest. And his gelled hair spike will be covered with a beanie.

The Rams’ coach does not need any weather-related distractions on the field or on the sideline when his team plays the Chicago Bears on Sunday in an NFL divisional-round game at Soldier Field, where the wind-chill factor could fall below zero.

Rams kicker Harrison Mevis grew up in northern Indiana, a few hours from Soldier Field in Chicago.

Cold weather? Wind?

Mevis, who used to shovel snow off his high school field to practice, is accustomed to it.

“It’s backyard football,” Mevis said this week as he prepared for Sunday’s NFC divisional-round playoff game against the Chicago Bears.

VIDEO | 03:02

Rams look to beat Bears and advance to NFC championship game

• Share via Close extra sharing options

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • X
  • LinkedIn
  • Threads
  • Reddit
  • WhatsApp
  • Copy Link URL Copied!

Gary Klein breaks down everything you need to know heading into the Rams’ NFC divisional playoff game against the Chicago Bears on Sunday.

Mevis and the Rams special teams are expected to play a key role in the matchup between the No. 2-seeded Bears and the No. 5 Rams in a game that could be played with temperatures in the teens and a wind-chill of less than zero degrees.

The Rams signed Mevis in November to replace Joshua Karty, and he made 12 of 13 field-goal attempts and all 39 extra-points. Mevis kicked two field goals and four extra points in the Rams’ 34-31 wild-card victory over the Carolina Panthers.

Mevis, who played in college at Missouri, noted that because of the expected weather, the ball might be harder and might not travel as far as it would in warmer climates. And then there is the wind.

Before and during warmups, Mevis said he would assess the wind and targets to kick toward. He will do the same at halftime.

But he won’t overthink it in the moment.

“Just play your ball and slice the wind and spin it to win it,” he said. “That’s kind of the deal.”