Matthew Stafford, who will turn 38 on Super Bowl Eve, continues to power the Los Angeles Rams through the postseason, and after a gritty win over the Carolina Panthers, the Rams now travel to Chicago to face the Bears in the Divisional Round.
Chicago is coming off a dramatic comeback victory over the Green Bay Packers and will be riding plenty of momentum, setting the stage for an exciting matchup. However, if the Rams get their way, here’s a look at who they would face in the NFC Championship Game.
Who Is the Rams’ Potential NFC Championship Opponent?
Stafford is coming off what may have been the first MVP season of his career, supported by an elite receiver duo in Puka Nacua and Davante Adams. The Rams pair that offensive firepower with an aggressive defense and a reliable run game, making Los Angeles one of the most complete teams left in the postseason.
They opened as double-digit favorites against the NFC South champion Carolina Panthers, despite an earlier loss, and came away with a close win. Now, Los Angeles heads to face the Chicago Bears as the favorite once again, with PFSN’s Playoff Predictor giving the Rams a 53.4% chance to advance.
According to PFSN’s Offense Impact Metric, the Rams boast the league’s top-ranked offense, while their defense ranks inside the top three in the Defense Impact Metric. That balance explains why Los Angeles holds the edge, especially against a Bears defense that has been inconsistent and allowed more than 24 points per game on average.
If Stafford delivers once again, the Rams would travel to Seattle to face the Seahawks in the NFC Championship Game on January 25. The divisional rivals split their two regular-season meetings, with both games decided by two points or fewer, including one that went to overtime.
A third matchup would likely be another classic, though Los Angeles would enter as the favorite given Stafford’s playoff experience and the Rams’ balanced approach on both sides of the ball. Prior to the Divisional Round, PFSN analytics gave the Rams a 27.7% chance of reaching the Super Bowl, while Seattle led the NFC at 34.7%.
Rams Insights For Bears Game
Playoff: Sean McVay’s Rams are 1-2 in the Divisional Round when playing the week before. The only season Los Angeles won the second playoff game after winning the Wild Card was 2021, the year they won the Super Bowl.
Team: The Rams are 5-3 against teams that finished the season with a winning record. The three losses were by a combined ten points. Two of the losses were in overtime, and the third was against the Eagles when Los Angeles had a potential game-winning 44-yard field goal blocked on the final play.
QB: Matthew Stafford recorded a QBi score of 73.4 (C) against the Panthers last week, which was his second-lowest career score in a playoff game. It was the third-lowest score of the week, ahead of only Justin Herbert and Aaron Rodgers.
OFF: Since Week 7, the Rams have scored 24 or more points in ten of 11 games. The only exception was a 21-19 win against the 49ers in Week 10. The Rams led the NFL with the best OFFi (92.3, A-) during the regular season.
DEF: Through Wild Card Weekend, the Rams are tied with the Jaguars with ten games in which they forced multiple turnovers. Los Angeles has won nine of the ten games, including its victory last week against the Carolina Panthers. The Chicago Bears have had nine such games and are 9-0 when having at least two takeaways.
