The Los Angeles Rams are gearing up for a high-stakes showdown in the Windy City, where they’ll face a red-hot Chicago Bears team in the divisional round on Sunday. And if last weekend was any indication, they’ve got their hands full.
The Bears are riding a wave of momentum after pulling off one of the most dramatic comebacks of the postseason so far - erasing an 18-point second-half deficit to stun the Green Bay Packers, 31-27. At the heart of that rally?
Rookie quarterback Caleb Williams, who once again showed why the Bears invested so heavily in him. That win marked his seventh fourth-quarter comeback of the season - a stat that speaks volumes about his poise under pressure and ability to deliver when it matters most.
For the Rams, that means the defensive game plan starts - and probably ends - with containing Williams. And no one knows that better than Jared Verse, the Rams’ dynamic edge rusher who’s been a key piece of their front seven. Verse spoke candidly after Thursday’s practice, offering a glimpse into how L.A. plans to approach the challenge of facing a quarterback who can extend plays and beat you both through the air and on the ground.
“We don’t rush scared,” Verse said. “We rush very alive. Everybody knows their jobs.”
That’s not just bravado - it’s a reflection of how the Rams’ pass rush operates. Discipline is key.
Verse explained that when he takes an aggressive angle off the edge, there’s always someone covering the B-gap and A-gap behind him. That structure allows him to attack without compromising the integrity of the defense.
Still, Verse made it clear: this isn’t just any quarterback.
“You can’t get too high, can’t get too low,” he said. “My job’s to get the quarterback off the spot, and everybody else will be able to pick him up.
But don’t ever rush scared. Don’t ever do that - because if you do, he’s a quarterback at the end of the day.
He’s a Heisman winner. He’ll just stand back there all day and dot us up.”
Translation: if you give Caleb Williams time and space, he’ll make you pay. He’s already proven that multiple times this season.
But it’s not just about collapsing the pocket - it’s about finishing the play. Verse emphasized that against a quarterback like Williams, disrupting the throw is just as important as getting the sack.
“You’ve got to keep rushing, you’ve got to keep running,” he said. “Once you get your hands around him, you can’t fully grab him - aim for his arm. You have to aim for his arm, try to mess his throw up a little bit.”
That kind of focus on disrupting mechanics is a smart approach, especially against a quarterback who can turn broken plays into highlight reels. Williams doesn’t need a clean pocket to make throws. Even when flushed out or forced off-platform, he’s capable of threading the needle - and that’s what makes him so dangerous.
Of course, the Rams will be battling more than just the Bears offense. Soldier Field in January is no picnic.
Freezing temperatures and a raucous Chicago crowd are waiting, and history hasn’t been kind to the Rams in cold-weather games. That’s another layer to this already tough matchup.
But this is the playoffs - nothing comes easy. And if the Rams want to keep their Super Bowl hopes alive, they’ll need to bring more than just a game plan. They’ll need discipline, execution, and maybe a little bit of grit to slow down one of the league’s most electric young quarterbacks on his home turf.