The Los Angeles Rams are heading into a frigid showdown against the Chicago Bears, but the coldest temperatures of the weekend won’t be the only thing heating up Soldier Field. There’s some serious sideline tension brewing - and it’s not coming from the heaters.
What was already a high-stakes Divisional Round clash has taken on a personal edge, thanks to some simmering animosity between Rams head coach Sean McVay and Bears offensive coordinator Ben Johnson. The spark? A postgame moment - or maybe more accurately, a postgame statement - that didn’t sit well with McVay or his coaching circle.
After the Bears knocked off the Packers in the Wild Card round, Johnson's handshake with Green Bay head coach Matt LaFleur turned heads. It wasn’t just the handshake - it was the reported trash talk that followed. According to Peter Schrager, Johnson’s NSFW comments aimed at LaFleur didn’t just ruffle feathers - they lit a fire.
“That handshake, and all that mother-f, mother-f stuff from Ben Johnson, did not go over well with the McVay tree and around the league,” Schrager said. “I think McVay wants to kick the snot out of Ben Johnson.”
That’s not just playoff intensity - that’s personal. And it makes sense why McVay would take it that way.
He and Matt LaFleur go way back. The two are long-time friends, having worked together in Washington and Los Angeles.
Their coaching philosophies are cut from the same cloth, and the respect between them runs deep. Add in the fact that McVay’s current offensive coordinator is Mike LaFleur - Matt’s younger brother - and you start to see why Johnson’s postgame antics didn’t just fade into the background.
Around the league, especially among coaches connected to McVay’s expansive coaching tree, Johnson’s behavior reportedly didn’t sit well. It’s one thing to celebrate a playoff win. It’s another to cross a line with a respected peer - and in this case, someone who’s deeply connected to McVay both personally and professionally.
So now, as the Rams prepare to face the Bears, there’s more than just a trip to the NFC Championship on the line. There’s pride.
There’s loyalty. And if you believe Schrager, there’s a little bit of revenge in the air.
McVay, for his part, isn’t exactly fanning the flames publicly - but he’s not ignoring them either. When asked if he’d reached out to Matt LaFleur for insight on how to handle the Bears - a team the Packers faced three times this season - McVay kept it light.
“No, you know what. We watch the tape.
We do our work,” McVay said with a grin. “And you know, Matt is a very close friend of mine.”
Translation: McVay doesn’t need to phone a friend. He’s got the tools, the tape, and the motivation to handle this one himself.
This weekend’s game might be the coldest in terms of weather, but the coaching matchup is absolutely red-hot. On one side, you’ve got a rising star in Ben Johnson, who’s helped engineer a Bears offense that just stunned Green Bay. On the other, you’ve got a seasoned playoff veteran in McVay, who’s not just coaching for a shot at another Super Bowl - he might be coaching with a little extra fire in his belly.
The Rams and Bears are set to collide in a game that already had plenty at stake. Now, with some off-field tension adding fuel to the fire, this one has all the makings of a playoff classic - icy turf, heated sidelines, and a whole lot of pride on the line.