The Chicago Bears’ defense has faced its share of challenges this season, but none quite like what’s coming their way this week. The Los Angeles Rams roll into Soldier Field with the NFL’s most potent offense - a unit that can strike quickly, creatively, and in just about any way imaginable.
At the center of it all is Matthew Stafford, who’s turning back the clock at 37 and playing some of the best football of his career. Stafford led the league in passing yards (4,707) and touchdowns (46), and he’s doing it with the kind of command and confidence that only comes from years of experience - and a deep understanding of Sean McVay’s system. Bears head coach Ben Johnson made it clear this week: stopping Stafford is priority No. 1, and even that might not be enough.
Stafford’s connection with rookie sensation Puka Nacua has been nothing short of electric. Nacua racked up 1,715 receiving yards - second only to Seattle’s Jaxon Smith-Njigba - and has quickly become one of the most dangerous weapons in the league. Throw in a still-dangerous Davante Adams, and the Rams’ passing game becomes a nightmare for any secondary.
Veteran safety Kevin Byard III knows exactly what the Bears are up against.
“As long as he's played in this league, I think he's playing probably the best football of his career,” Byard said. “He'd probably say that.
I think he's just very confident within the scheme. What Sean McVay is doing, playing at a very high level.
Obviously, he has a top two, probably not two, receiver in the league right now with Puka Nacua, who's playing at a very high level. Davante Adams is still Davante Adams, their run game is humming as well.
There’s a reason why they're the number one offense in this league this year.”
And Byard’s right - the Rams aren’t just a passing team. McVay’s offense is built on balance, and the run game is very much alive and well.
Kyren Williams has emerged as a workhorse, piling up 1,252 yards and 10 touchdowns on 259 carries. Blake Corum has been a strong complement, adding 746 yards and six scores of his own.
Together, they’ve given L.A. a reliable ground attack that keeps defenses honest and sets up everything else McVay wants to do.
It’s that run game - and the way McVay schemes it - that poses a unique challenge.
“Well, for one, I think his run game is unique, kind of almost similar to (49ers Head Coach Kyle) Shanahan and also even Ben [Johnson] where they're doing so much as far as their personnel, moving them around a lot of different places and they're creating angles in the run game,” Byard explained. “But also getting your eyes off where they're shifting the guy here, but then they're bringing the tight end this way, but then the run is going this way and then it's wheeling back... it’s kind of getting guys out of place and they're able to get downhill.
Every run might not hit for 20 yards, but it's four or five, six again - positive yards every time. I think that's very unique.”
That kind of misdirection and motion-heavy approach puts a lot of pressure on defenders to stay disciplined. One false step, one missed assignment, and the Rams are off to the races.
The Bears’ defense, led by coordinator Dennis Allen, will need to be sharp from the jump. They gave up 21 points in the first half to Green Bay in the Wild Card round but clamped down in the second half, allowing just six more en route to a 31-27 win. That kind of in-game adjustment will be key again this week - only this time, the margin for error is even smaller.
If the Rams start fast - and they usually do - Allen and his unit will need to respond quickly. Stafford, Nacua, Adams, Williams, Corum - it’s a pick-your-poison situation. And if the Bears want to keep their season alive, they’ll need to find answers in real time.
This game isn’t just about stopping one star player. It’s about staying disciplined against one of the most well-orchestrated offenses in football. The Bears have their work cut out for them - but if they can slow the Rams down, even just a little, they’ll give themselves a shot at pulling off something special at Soldier Field.