Bears will have a key advantage over the Rams for more reasons than one and it shows how important having the No. 2 seed is
The Chicago Bears are leaning into the home field advantage going into Sunday’s game.
Back in Week 18, the Chicago Bears made the decision to play the starters in the final regular season game against the Detroit Lions to hopefully build some momentum going into the playoffs.
While it didn’t turn out as intended, the Bears still managed to achieve a secondary goal in Week 18 by securing the No. 2 seed in the NFC thanks to the loss by the Philadelphia Eagles, who chose to rest their starters in that final regular season game.
Securing the No. 2 seed allowed the Bears to host last week’s game against the Green Bay Packers in the first round and allows the Bears to host the second round matchup this Sunday against the Los Angeles Rams. It’s a key advantage for Chicago in more ways than one going into this game.
Weather forecasts expected to play a significant role in Sunday’s game
For starters, Rams’ head coach Sean McVay has never won a game during his tenure at Soldier Field. He’s 0-2 in Chicago, including last year’s regular season matchup.
As for the weather forecast, it’s expected to be blistering cold temperatures at Soldier Field on Sunday night. It’ll be well below freezing and potentially below 20 degrees by kickoff with a chance of snow. Now, weather can be a bit overblown when it comes to professional athletes and how they perform in the elements, and quarterback Matthew Stafford has fared well in games played outdoors below freezing despite what you might hear this week.
In his last six outdoor games below freezing, Stafford is 3-3 with 14 passing touchdowns and three interceptions while averaging 260.3 passing yards per game. He’s also won each of his last three career games in those conditions, so throw that narrative out of the window.
| Date | Temp at Kickoff | Final Score | Comp–Attempts | Passing Yards | Passing TDs | INTs |
| Dec. 22, 2024 vs. NYJ | 23 degrees | Rams W, 19-9 | 14-19 | 110 | 1 | 1 |
| Dec. 30, 2018 vs. GB | 26 degrees | Lions W, 31-0 | 20-32 | 266 | 2 | 0 |
| Jan. 3, 2016 vs. CHI | 31 degrees | Lions W, 24-20 | 28-39 | 298 | 3 | 0 |
| Dec. 28, 2014 vs. GB | 27 degrees | Lions L, 30-20 | 20-41 | 217 | 3 | 0 |
| Dec. 8, 2013 vs. PHI | 27 degrees | Lions L, 34-20 | 10-25 | 151 | 0 | 0 |
| Jan. 1, 2012 vs. GB | 31 degrees | Lions L, 45-41 | 36-59 | 520 | 5 | 2 |
However, it’s also worth mentioning that Stafford is currently dealing with a sprain on his right index finger. McVay said on Monday that Stafford will be “go to go” but the injury is still something to consider with Stafford playing in these elements this time around.
Home crowd advantage for Chicago
While the weather itself might not be much of advantage against this particular quarterback, the home crowd can certainly play a role in disrupting Stafford’s game at the line of scrimmage. This year, the Bears are 7-2 at home and the crowd has been rocking all season long.
“You felt the fans throughout the day,” Bears head coach Ben Johnson told Jeff Joniak on ESPN Chicago when reflecting on last week’s game. “You felt the energy leaving the hotel and going over to the stadium. We stayed at a hotel close to the stadium and you could see it building over the course of the day too. To experience that firsthand, it’s second to none. I don’t know if I’ve been a part of something quite like that before. Especially in the fourth quarter when things got a lot closer, you could just feel it all come to life.”
In that game against the Packers, Green Bay’s offense had three pre-snap penalties that really helped impact the result of that game in the second half.
Kicker advantage for Chicago
The other advantage playing at Soldier Field in these conditions is the kicking factor. Bears kicker Cairo Santos is built for these conditions and plays at his best late in the season in this stadium.
“Soldier Field, this time of year, is not easy to kick in,” Johnson told reporters on Monday. “That’s why we’re very fortunate to have a kicker we really trust.”
Since returning to Chicago in 2020, Santos is 30-34 on kicks at Soldier Field in December or later, pretty good results late in the season. Meanwhile, Rams kicker Harrison Mevis will be kicking for the first time at Soldier Field and we’ll see how he holds up in these conditions.
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