Rams defeat Bears in OT, advance to NFC title game

CHICAGO — The Los Angeles Rams’ offensive unit — which topped the league in offensive DVOA during the regular season — encountered difficulties for a significant portion of their 20-17 divisional-round victory over the Chicago Bears. After three quarters, the Rams accumulated a mere 174 yards, the lowest total of their season, as reported by ESPN Research.

However, the Rams’ defense rose to the occasion when it mattered most, with safety Kam Curl intercepting a pass from Caleb Williams in overtime, regaining possession for Los Angeles at their own 22-yard line.

This marked the Rams’ third takeaway in the game, including two interceptions by cornerback Cobie Durant. The Rams’ three interceptions are their highest tally in a playoff game since a franchise-best six during the 2001 divisional round against the Packers, according to ESPN Research. The Rams’ defense additionally restricted the Bears to 3 of 6 conversions on fourth downs, featuring a crucial stop near the goal line with 3:06 remaining in the fourth quarter.

Although it wasn’t a flawless performance from the Rams, it was sufficient to propel them to the NFC Championship Game for the first time since clinching Super Bowl LVI in the 2021 season.

Now brace yourselves for Rams vs. Seahawks Part III.

They are set to face the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday, a team against whom they split their seasonal encounters: securing a 21-19 victory at SoFi Stadium in Week 11 and suffering a 38-37 loss in overtime in Week 16.

The Philadelphia Eagles recorded five in the 2024 divisional round game that concluded Los Angeles’ season, according to ESPN Research. This marked the first game this season lacking a passing touchdown.

Stat to know: The Rams become the inaugural team in the past 25 postseasons to complete a touchdown drive comprising at least 14 plays on their opening possession, as per ESPN Research. The Rams’ offense had trouble advancing the ball until the fourth quarter when they orchestrated another 14-play touchdown drive. They are the first team to achieve multiple touchdown drives of 14 plays or more in a single playoff game since the Eagles in the 2022 NFC Championship against the 49ers.

Biggest hole in the game plan: Davante Adams was unable to register a catch in the initial three quarters. As noted by ESPN Research, this was only the second instance in his career where he went without a catch through three quarters during his nine NFL seasons. He concluded the game with 2 catches for 24 yards. — Sarah Barshop

Next game: at Seahawks

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They were the Cardiac Bears until the final whistle.

After trailing by seven points late in the contest, Caleb Williams produced a last-minute burst of fourth-quarter magic by connecting with Cole Kmet in the corner of the north end zone at Soldier Field for a 14-yard touchdown, forcing overtime.

This was only the second overtime matchup the Bears participated in during playoffs. The Bears were unable to score after their sole possession in overtime concluded with Williams throwing an interception, his third of the game.

The Rams solidified their journey to the NFC Championship Game on their subsequent possession, which culminated with a 42-yard field goal.

Ben Johnson’s inaugural year with the Bears was a notable success, even though Chicago fell short of reaching the title game as the NFC’s No. 2 seed. The Bears concluded the regular season with 11 victories, marking their first playoff triumph in 15 years when they defeated the Packers in the wild-card round.

What to make of QB performance: Throughout the season, Williams has consistently displayed the ability to pull off miraculous comebacks in the fourth quarter and lead the Bears to victory. However, on Sunday, his magic ran dry. Williams managed to throw a phenomenal TD pass with just 18 seconds remaining, leveling the score at 17-17 and pushing the game into overtime. Nevertheless, his struggles in the second half continued, as he went just 10-of-23 (43%) in passing during the second half/OT, with two interceptions. He ended up completing 23 of 42 passes for 257 yards, two touchdowns, and three interceptions. This was Williams’ second consecutive game with multiple interceptions after finishing the regular season without any games featuring multiple picks. After registering a career-high 13 off-target throws last week against the Packers, Williams added nine more such attempts in the loss to the Rams, including an interception in overtime.

Stat to know: Colston Loveland’s 18-yard catch on the Bears’ last drive of the fourth quarter surpassed Sam LaPorta’s record for the most receiving yards by a rookie tight end in a single postseason since the 1970 AFL/NFL merger. Loveland has accumulated 193 receiving yards this postseason (LaPorta had 176 in 2023).

Most surprising performance: Bears defensive coordinator Dennis Allen unleashed pressure using complex stunts and blitz packages that left QB Matthew Stafford appearing unusually inaccurate (11 off-target passes). With C.J. Gardner-Johnson returning from a concussion, Allen leveraged Chicago’s full array of defensive backs to pressure Stafford frequently, particularly with dime formations, culminating in three sacks. Overall, the Bears blitzed Stafford on 37% of his dropbacks. He also registered a dismal 0-of-9 on play-action attempts.

— Courtney Cronin

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