Sean McVay, taking a cue from quarterback Matthew Stafford, will don an upper-body neoprene undergarment. Perhaps a heated vest. And his gelled hair spike will be covered with a beanie.
The Rams’ coach does not need any weather-related distractions on the field or on the sideline when his team plays the Chicago Bears on Sunday in an NFL divisional-round game at Soldier Field, where the wind-chill factor could fall below zero.
“What do you think, I’m going to dress up like the Michelin Man or something?” McVay said when queried about his planned sideline attire. “And now that I’m not being too stubborn about throwing a beanie on after my mom and my wife ripped my ass, I’ll be in good shape there too.”
The Rams are aiming for a better ending and warmer feeling than they experienced the last time they played a divisional-round game in cold weather.
Almost exactly one year ago, the Rams traveled to Philadelphia and lost to the eventual Super Bowl-champion Eagles in the snow.
The Rams could have avoided being on the road for the playoffs this year had they held onto the top seed in the NFC, but they lost three of their last six games and fell to No. 5.
So here they are again.
The Rams are coming off a 34-31 wild-card victory over the Carolina Panthers, a win that followed a familiar script: The Rams led early, allowed the opponent to get back into the game with lulls and costly errors, and then pulled out a victory.
“Are we looking for consistent execution for a full 60 [minutes]?” McVay said this week, “No doubt about it. We’re going to continue to strive for that. Maybe this week is the week.”
Stafford played 12 seasons for the Detroit Lions in the NFC North, so he is accustomed to playing in cold weather.
Stafford suffered a sprained right index finger against the Panthers but has said the finger felt “great” and he was a full participant in practices this week.
Stafford faces a Bears defense that led the NFL with 23 interceptions and recovered 10 fumbles.
Under first-year coach Ben Johnson, and with second-year quarterback Caleb Williams having made huge strides, the Bears won multiple games with comebacks, including their 31-27 divisional-round victory over the Green Bay Packers.
“You have to give them a lot of credit,” Stafford said. “They have a quarterback, a team, a coach that all believe in each other and as they should. They’ve proven it a bunch of times this year.”
The Rams are buoyed by the return of right guard Kevin Dotson, who was sidelined for three games because of an ankle injury. Dotson adds a layer of protection for Stafford to connect with receivers Puka Nacua and Davante Adams, and he could be pivotal if McVay opts to go with three tight ends and a run-heavy approach that highlights running backs Kyren Williams and Blake Corum.
“If we throwing the ball, we running the ball, we screening the ball — it don’t matter,” Williams said. “I’m going to be ready for it. … Whether it’s a 100 mph-wind and we got to run that ball, or if it’s no wind and we’re just going to throw the ball, it don’t matter.”
The Bears rely on running back D’Andre Swift to set up a passing game that features called and off-schedule plays by Williams.
“The key to not being too cold out there on the field is to not let them sustain super-long drives,” defensive lineman Kobie Turner said. “So how about let’s get some three-and-outs and get back to the heat of the benches.”
Rams center Coleman Shelton played last season for the Bears. He experienced multiple cold-weather games. Keeping hands warm between snaps is key.
“Hand warmers, whatever you’ve got to do to keep the feel so your hands don’t go numb,” he said.
The Rams got experience in cold-weather games last season against the New York Jets and the Eagles. Players said they were not affected by the elements when action was happening on the field.
“It’s when you get TV timeouts and all that,” offensive lineman Steve Avila said. “That’s when you’re like, “Awww, this sucks.”
The Rams, however, are not complaining.
They got a good week of practice in sunny and warm weather.
If they defeat the Bears, they will advance to the NFC championship game against the winner of Saturday’s game between the top-seeded Seattle Seahawks and the No. 6 San Francisco 49ers.
“We’re playing for our lives here,” Turner said, “so it doesn’t matter if we’re playing in the middle of a parking lot, it doesn’t matter if it’s snowing or how hot it is out here at practice.
“Wherever the ball drops, we’re locked in.”
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