Following a pair of impressive come-from-behind victories, the fifth-seeded Los Angeles Rams and the second-seeded Chicago Bears will go head-to-head this weekend for a spot in the NFC Championship Game.

Down 21-3 at halftime to the Green Bay Packers, the Bears outscored the Packers 28-6 the rest of the way for the comeback win. Chicago forced on incompletion on the final play of the game to hold on for the 31-27 victory.

“That's just an incredible job by all the people in this building, players, coaches, support staff,” said head coach Ben Johnson after the win. “To do what they just did with the stakes as high as they were and knowing that it's win or go home at this point. Down 21-3 at halftime, and defense bowing up like they did in the second half with a number of three-and-outs. And then, the offense coming to life and finding a way to get us enough points in the fourth quarter there… was a huge deal, and it's really who those guys are now at this point. We’ve got a group of guys that just don't waver… That's who we are. That's what we do here at this point.”

The Bears weren't the only team with a come-from-behind victory. The Rams scored a game-winning touchdown with 38 seconds left in regulation to down the Carolina Panthers last weekend, 34-31.

“I think the opportunity to [have] a two-minute drill, to have number nine operating the show. I think there's very few places I'd rather be than out there with number nine,” said LA All-Pro wide receiver Puka Nacua. “Never a doubt. Number nine's with us.”

For the Bears, comeback victories are becoming a common occurrence, with seven so far this season. Though that's an impressive feat, it also means that Chicago has not gotten out of the gate quickly, which has been a problem for several weeks.

“I think we all want to start faster," explained Ben Johnson on Monday. "I know that's been a theme here over the last two months of the season, it feels like. But, we're going to go back to work here, and it's something we address, it's something that we correct, and we look to get better from.”

The Rams are arguably the most-balanced team the Bears have played all season, ranking first in scoring offense and tenth in scoring defense. Their offensive attack could end up giving Chicago's defense a lot of problems.

“I mean, obviously, [it’s a] big time offense, you know what I mean? Matthew Stafford is playing big-time ball, as he always does,” Bears linebacker Tremaine Edmunds said. “A lot of respect for him. He's been playing on a high level for a long time. Obviously, weapons in the passing game. Running backs are real good. O-line's good. I mean, they have a talented roster. So, we’ve got to do a good job really looking at the film, seeing how they want to attack us, and definitely make sure we execute at a high level.”

When preparing for the Rams, teams must always focus their efforts on limiting LA's passing attack and the effectiveness of quarterback Matthew Stafford, who has already thrown a career-high 49 passing touchdowns and a league-leading 5,011 passing yards this season.

“As long as he's played in this league, I think he's playing probably the best football of his career. He'll probably say that,” said Chicago All-Pro safety Kevin Byard III. “I think he's just very confident within the scheme with [what] Sean McVay is doing. Playing at a very high level… Matt Stafford presents a lot of challenges. Obviously, the arm talent’s there. He throws probably one or two no-look passes a game, as well. He's just a very talented quarterback that's been in this league a long time, seen a lot. There’s been a lot of high-pressure games. And you even watch last week, Carolina, that last drive. When he needed to go score, he just drove right down the field and was just operating at a high level. So, huge challenge for us this weekend as a defense.”

On the other side, the Rams have a few different things to worry about heading into this game. One of those factors, which is out of their control, is the weather. This will be the coldest game LA has played this season, with temperatures likely dropping to two degrees Fahrenheit and snow expected during the matchup.

“You know the actual just cold in general in terms of how the ball feels, but last year was a great example of we had two really cold games. The Jets game was even colder than the Eagles game. It was too damn cold in New York to even snow that day. But, fortunately, Matthew's played in these conditions, and so, [it] doesn't change,” Los Angeles head coach Sean McVay told members of the media on Wednesday. “There's a couple things you have to be mindful of, but now you start talking about wind, rain, and how that really affects your footing, stuff like that. But, we always kind of adjust and adapt. They’ve gotta be able to play in those same sort of elements. They obviously have had a little bit more experience, but we're not going to allow that to be an excuse. And so, I think you do have to have a feel. But, I think the way that our guys play, I think it suits us well in any sort of conditions, and that's kind of what we've always said.”

Something that the Rams can control is their ability to contain Bears quarterback Caleb Williams. He leads all playoff passers with 361 yards through the air and has another 20 yards on the ground. Keeping him in the pocket and not allowing him to break contain will be crucial to LA's success.

“We obviously have great rushers, and we want to let ‘em go. But, at the same time, you’ve got to be disciplined,” Rams defensive coordinator Chris Shula told reporters earlier this week. “You’ve got to rush four as one. You’ve got to stay in your lane, all that type of stuff. We know at some point, he's probably going to get out, and we've got to be disciplined in the back end to plaster and stay on our man.”

“We don't rush scared,” added Rams Pro Bowl linebacker Jared Verse. “We rush very alive. Everybody knows their jobs, though. If I'm rushing high, we have somebody covering the B-gap and the A-gap on my side, so I have the liberty to just make a good play. I can't get too high. I can't get too low. My job is to just kind of get the quarterback off the spot, and everybody else will be able to pick him up. That's just the way we rush. We don't ever rush scared.”

Prediction for Los Angeles Rams (-3.5) @ Chicago Bears

As ridiculous as it sounds, the harsh weather conditions should be a point of concern for Los Angeles. The Rams have only played six games in temperatures below 40 degrees Fahrenheit during the Sean McVay era, and they're 2-4 in those contests. More importantly, their wins came against teams with losing records: the 2018-19 Denver Broncos (6-10) and the 2024-25 New York Jets (5-12). On top of that, they're 0-2 in playoff games below 40 degrees Fahrenheit, with a loss as recent as last season on the road against the Philadelphia Eagles, in a game where it snowed heavily, and the Rams lost the turnover battle. Chicago will probably have more success running the ball this weekend compared to last week. The Bears had to abandon the run game after falling behind 21-3. This time around, Chicago will lean more heavily on its third-ranked rushing attack (144.5 yards per game), which will allow the Bears to control the clock and limit the number of possessions the Rams have offensively. That has always been a proven way to limit the effectiveness of MVP quarterbacks. It won't be easy, but if Chicago can make the most of its red zone possessions, then the Bears will come out of this thing with a victory.

Prediction: Bears 23 - 21 Rams

How to watch Los Angeles Rams (-3.5) @ Chicago Bears

Rams @ Bears starts at 6:30 p.m. EDT on Sunday at Soldier Field. You can watch it on NBC or stream it via the Peacock app or NFL+.

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