The Chicago Bears are just three wins away from hoisting the Lombardi Trophy, but the road to the Super Bowl doesn’t get any easier from here. Next up: a showdown with the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Divisional Round. And while playoff football always brings its share of drama, this matchup might feature an unexpected X-factor-Mother Nature.
Let’s set the stage. The Bears are coming off a thrilling 31-27 win over the rival Green Bay Packers in the Wild Card round, where Soldier Field was rocking from start to finish.
That kind of home-field energy matters in January, especially in a city like Chicago. The Rams, meanwhile, had to grind out a narrow three-point win over the Panthers to punch their ticket to this round.
Now, both teams are in win-or-go-home mode, and every edge-no matter how small-could make the difference.
Enter the weather.
Kickoff is slated for 5:30 p.m. CST, and the forecast is shaping up to be classic Chicago in January.
AccuWeather is calling for a temperature of 19 degrees at kickoff, but with wind chill, it’ll feel closer to a bone-chilling one degree. The wind will be blowing southwest at 16 mph, with gusts reaching up to 20 mph.
And there’s a 40% chance of snow, which could creep up to 51% during the game.
Now, this isn’t just a fun fact for fans bundled up in the stands-this is the kind of weather that can swing a playoff game. The Bears are built for this.
They practice in it, they play in it, and they know how to win in it. It’s part of the team’s DNA.
The Rams? Not so much.
Matthew Stafford, the Rams’ veteran quarterback, has a career record of 1-9 in games played in these kinds of cold-weather conditions. That stat isn’t just a coincidence.
Stafford has spent most of his career playing in domes-first in Detroit, now in L.A.-where the elements are never a factor. When he’s had to step into the cold, the results haven’t been kind.
That’s not to say Stafford can’t rise to the occasion-he’s a former Super Bowl champ, after all-but the conditions won’t be doing him any favors. The ball gets slick, the wind messes with timing routes, and footing becomes a challenge. For a team that thrives on precision and timing in the passing game, that’s a real concern.
For the Bears, this is the kind of game they relish. A cold, gritty, potentially snowy playoff battle at Soldier Field?
That’s exactly the environment where their physicality and toughness can shine. If they can lean on their ground game, control the clock, and make Stafford uncomfortable, they could be in position to punch their ticket to the NFC Championship.
No playoff game is ever decided by weather alone, but when the margins are razor-thin, it can absolutely tilt the scales. And if the forecast holds, the Bears might just have the Windy City itself lining up on their side.