Sean McVay knows a thing or two about playoff football - and this weekend, he’ll be putting that experience to the test against rookie head coach Ben Johnson and a surging Chicago Bears team. The Los Angeles Rams punched their ticket to the Divisional Round with a strong showing against Carolina, and now face a Bears squad that just pulled off one of the most improbable comebacks of the Wild Card weekend.
But here’s where things get interesting: McVay might be getting a little help from a familiar face.
When asked whether he’d tapped into his relationship with Packers head coach Matt LaFleur - who just saw his season end at the hands of these same Bears - McVay didn’t exactly play coy. “What would you guess?”
he said with a grin. “No, you know what, we watch the tape, we do our work, and Matt is a very close friend of mine.”
The room broke into laughter, but the message was clear: there’s a good chance McVay and LaFleur have been talking shop this week.
It wouldn’t be surprising. McVay and LaFleur go way back, both branches of the now-famous Shanahan coaching tree, and there’s a deep mutual respect between them. After all, if anyone has a fresh scouting report on Chicago, it’s LaFleur - and McVay knows every edge counts in January.
The Bears, though, don’t seem too concerned. After all, they just erased an 18-point deficit against Green Bay, flipping what looked like a blowout into a playoff stunner.
Down 21-3, Chicago managed just three points in the third quarter. But then came the fourth - and with it, a 25-6 scoring run that sent shockwaves through the NFC bracket.
That kind of resilience is what makes this Bears team dangerous. They don’t just hang around - they punch back.
And under Ben Johnson, they’ve developed a chip-on-the-shoulder mentality that’s starting to define their postseason identity. Johnson, for his part, hasn’t hidden his disdain for Green Bay, and while he’s new to the head coaching ranks, he’s already making his presence felt.
Cameras even caught a tense postgame handshake between Johnson and LaFleur - a moment that’s drawn plenty of attention. Whatever was said, it’s clear there’s no love lost between the two. And now, McVay steps into the ring, potentially armed with some inside knowledge from his longtime friend.
But here’s the thing: while LaFleur may have insights, he also has a fresh reminder of what not to do. The Bears thrive in chaos.
They’re young, they’re scrappy, and they believe they belong. That comeback wasn’t a fluke - it was a statement.
So now, it’s McVay vs. Johnson.
Veteran vs. rookie. A spot in the NFC Championship Game on the line.
And if there’s one thing we’ve learned from this postseason already, it’s this: don’t count Chicago out - not even for a second.