Rams Defeat Bears in Overtime to Reach NFC Championship Game.

The Los Angeles Rams advanced to the NFC Championship Game after a hard-fought 20–17 overtime victory against the Chicago Bears on Sunday night at Soldier Field. Despite entering the divisional round as the league leader in offensive DVOA, the Rams struggled offensively for much of the game and relied heavily on their defense to secure the win.

Through three quarters, Los Angeles managed only 174 total yards, their lowest output of the season. Quarterback Matthew Stafford faced constant pressure, absorbing four sacks and failing to throw a touchdown pass for the first time all year. However, the Rams’ offense delivered when it mattered most, engineering a lengthy fourth-quarter drive that gave them a crucial lead. The Rams’ defense proved decisive throughout the contest. Safety Kam Curl intercepted Bears quarterback Caleb Williams in overtime, setting up the game-winning 42-yard field goal. Cornerback Cobie Durant added two interceptions of his own, giving Los Angeles three takeaways—its highest total in a playoff game since 2001. The defense also stopped Chicago on three of six fourth-down attempts, including a goal-line stand late in the fourth quarter. Although wide receiver Davante Adams was held without a catch through the first three quarters—an unusual occurrence in his career—Los Angeles did enough offensively to complement its defensive dominance. The Rams also made history by recording two touchdown drives of 14 plays or more, a feat rarely accomplished in postseason play.

Chicago showed resilience until the end. Caleb Williams once again displayed late-game composure, throwing a 14-yard touchdown pass to Cole Kmet with 18 seconds remaining to force overtime. However, Williams’ uncharacteristic mistakes proved costly. He threw three interceptions, including the decisive pick in overtime, and completed just 43 percent of his passes in the second half and extra period. Despite the loss, the Bears’ season marked a major step forward under first-year head coach Ben Johnson. Chicago finished as the NFC’s No. 2 seed, earned 11 regular-season wins, and secured its first playoff victory in 15 years. Rookie tight end Colston Loveland also made history by setting a postseason receiving yards record for a rookie at his position.

With the victory, the Rams move on to face the Seattle Seahawks in the NFC Championship Game, setting up a third matchup between the division rivals this season. While the performance was not flawless, Los Angeles once again demonstrated its ability to prevail under pressure.