On a frigid Sunday night where temperatures felt more suited for ice fishing than football, Matthew Stafford and the Los Angeles Rams dug deep and came away with a gritty 20-17 overtime win over the Chicago Bears-a victory defined less by flash and more by resolve.
Stafford, who led the NFL in passing during the regular season, didn’t light up the stat sheet this time. He was sacked four times and finished 20-of-42 for 258 yards.
But as he said afterward, “Playoff football is about winning the football game.” And that’s exactly what he did.
Last year, Stafford threw for 324 yards and two touchdowns in a playoff loss to Philadelphia-impressive numbers that didn’t translate into a win. That memory clearly stuck with him. This time around, he played through brutal conditions and a relentless Bears defense, and while the stat line was more modest, the outcome was everything.
For a moment, though, it looked like heartbreak was on the menu again.
Caleb Williams, Chicago’s sensational rookie quarterback, pulled off a jaw-dropping fourth-down scramble and found tight end Cole Kmet in the end zone with just 18 seconds left in regulation. It was the kind of play that makes you think, “Maybe this kid really is built for the big stage.” The Bears, who led the league with seven comeback wins in the final two minutes this season, looked poised to do it again.
They nearly did.
In overtime, Chicago got the ball first and started to move with purpose. But just as they approached field goal range, Williams misfired-and Rams safety Kam Curl was there to make the interception. It was a massive momentum swing, and Stafford knew what to do with it.
After a conservative three-and-out on their first overtime possession, the Rams came back out with a different mindset. Stafford took command, shifting into a no-huddle attack despite the swirling winds and a wind chill that dipped to negative-2 degrees.
He completed three straight passes to march the Rams into field goal territory. The biggest throw came on a third-and-6-a laser to Davante Adams along the sideline, threading the needle through tight coverage and brutal wind gusts.
Veteran analyst Chris Collinsworth didn’t mince words: “That may be the throw of the year for Matthew Stafford. There was no space to put that ball, zero, no chance that ball got completed.”
But it did. And after a quick review confirmed Adams got his foot down in bounds, the Rams sent out Harrison Mavis, who calmly knocked through the 42-yard game-winner.
It wasn’t just Stafford who battled. Former Georgia running back D’Andre Swift was a workhorse for the Bears, racking up 76 yards on 19 carries.
He kept the chains moving and helped Chicago control the clock for long stretches. But in the end, it wasn’t quite enough.
With the win, the Rams (14-5) now advance to the NFC Championship Game, where they’ll face a tough Seattle squad (15-3) next Sunday at 6:30 p.m.
Seattle is led by head coach Mike Macdonald, a Georgia native with deep ties to the state. His coaching roots trace back to Cedar Shoals High School in Athens, where he began as a linebackers and running backs coach in 2008. From there, he joined Mark Richt’s staff at Georgia as a graduate assistant in 2010 and later served as a defensive quality control assistant before moving on to the NFL.
But that’s a story for next week.
For now, the Rams walk away from Chicago with a hard-earned playoff win, led by a quarterback who knows that sometimes, winning ugly is still winning.