Rams collide with resurgent Bears
in divisional round matchup featuring high-powered offenses
[January 16, 2026]
By ANDREW SELIGMAN
LAKE FOREST, Ill. (AP) — Ben Johnson spent plenty of time studying
Sean McVay's offense, though not necessarily for a moment like this.
Back then, he wanted to know what worked for Jared Goff. Now, he'll
try to stop Matthew Stafford. And the stakes are high with the
Chicago Bears set to host the Los Angeles Rams in a divisional game
on Sunday.
“(McVay) does a phenomenal job,” Johnson said. “He has ever since
he’s gotten to LA. All of his teams are really well prepared.
There’s no doubt that he’s super sharp in the offensive side, but I
think how he does it as a head coach, bringing all three phases
together is really critical to their success. I think he does a
great job, knows how to speak to the team with the pulse of the team
and get the most out of them.
"There’s a reason why they’re in it every year since he’s been
there.”
Johnson was an assistant in Detroit when the the team kicked off a
rebuild by trading Stafford to Los Angeles for Goff and several
draft picks, including two first-rounders, following the 2021
season.
Now, after a successful run as the Lions' offensive coordinator, he
has orchestrated a remarkable turnaround in his first season as the
Bears' head coach.
Chicago (12-6) went from worst to first in the NFC North and posted
a winning record for the first time since the 2018 team won the
division. Quarterback Caleb Williams took big steps in his second
year for the Bears, who advanced in the playoffs for the first time
since the 2010 season by rallying for a 31-27 wild-card victory over
rival Green Bay. They trailed by as much as 18 on the way to their
seventh fourth-quarter comeback win, outscoring the Packers 25-6 in
the final period.
The Rams (13-5), who won the Super Bowl four years ago, established
themselves as championship contenders during an 11-3 start. But they
needed Stafford to lead one of his vintage comebacks to beat
Carolina last week. The All-Pro threw a perfectly-placed 19-yard
touchdown pass to Colby Parkinson with 38 seconds left, lifting the
Rams to a 34-31 win.
Now, two teams with high-powered offenses and a flair for the
dramatic are set to go at it. The winner will play Seattle or San
Francisco next week for a spot in the Super Bowl.
“Ben does a good job of being able to create matchups,” McVay said.
“They mix up their personnel. They’ve got backs that can obviously
run the football, but they’ve got skills in the pass game with tight
ends and receivers that can do the same thing. It’s a great
challenge.”
Holding the line
The Rams are hoping right guard Kevin Dotson returns from a
three-game absence with a sprained ankle to complete their optimal
offensive line.
While Stafford and Puka Nacua get all the attention, Los Angeles’
line has been the foundation of the NFL’s most productive offense,
clearing the way capably for Kyren Williams and Blake Corum while
largely keeping Stafford upright long enough to get the ball to the
record-setting Nacua or to NFL touchdown receptions leader Davante
Adams.
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Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson watches during the first half
of an NFL wild-card playoff football game against the Green Bay
Packers Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Nam Huh)
Run down
The Bears were third in the NFL in rushing during the regular
season. They're just not getting those big ground gains in recent
weeks.
Chicago was the only team with two 750-yard rushers, with veteran
D'Andre Swift running for 1,087 yards and rookie Kyle Monangai going
for 783. But the Bears have struggled to run the ball the past two
games.
Chicago fell into an early hole against Green Bay and finished with
93 yards rushing after being held to a season-low 65 in a loss to
Detroit.
“Certainly, late in the season, we wanted that to pick up, playoffs,
weather games like this," Johnson said. "You certainly want to be
able to lean on your run game. So those are some elements we’re
looking at. What can we do to help ignite that? It’s both efficient
runs to stay on track and ahead of the chains and also explosive
runs as well. Where can we find a few of those?”
Chasing Caleb
Los Angeles football fans know all about Williams’ elusiveness from
his two years at USC, and the Rams’ defensive front knows just how
hard it will be to corral the star quarterback.
But the Rams’ 47 sacks in the regular season were tied for third
among teams that made the playoffs, and their pass rush is likely
their defense’s strength, with Jared Verse and Byron Young attacking
from the edge while Kobie Turner and Braden Fiske apply pressure up
the middle.
“We know how he can extend plays and scramble to pick up first
downs,” Turner said. “It’s a big challenge to get him on the ground.
That’s where so much of their explosives come from.”
Playoff tested
Williams passed his first playoff test, setting a franchise playoff
record by throwing for 361 yards and two late touchdowns.
He has gotten increasingly more comfortable in his first year under
Johnson, throwing for a franchise-record 3,942 yards after a shaky
rookie season. The No. 1 draft pick in 2024, Williams has a chance
to join Sid Luckman (1941), Jim McMahon (1985) and Rex Grossman
(2006) as the only Bears quarterbacks to win multiple playoff games
in a single season. And, maybe, silence a few more doubters.
“It’s a little extra motivation in that sense," Williams said. “But
it’s not for me to prove them wrong. I know who I am.”
Bears weather
The teams might want to bundle up — particularly the Rams. The
National Weather Service is forecasting that temperatures will dip
into the single digits Sunday.
___
AP Sports Writer Greg Beacham in Los Angeles contributed to this
report.
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