Now, do you believe?
Finally, do you understand?
The Rams are going to win the Super Bowl.
Period. No conditions. No debate. It’s been written here before and, after Sunday, it literally bears writing again.
The Rams are going to win the Super Bowl.
Sunday gave it life. Sunday made it real. Sunday was the test that all championship teams must pass, and the Rams did so with frozen hands and puffy faces and a will that wailed.
How they beat the Chicago Bears in a divisional playoff game at a frigid, snowy Soldier Field in front of a bundled-up crowd going bananas, heaven only knows.
How they did so while blowing a lead on a last-minute miracle pass and then nearly botching the game on an overtime drive, even heaven surely has no idea.
But they did it, somehow, some way, swear to Stafford, they did it, winning 20-17 in overtime with an outcome that could be described in one word.
Puka Nacua was bouncing and gesturing and shouting that word during the on-field postgame interview.
“Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!”
Yeah, they’re now headed for Seattle for next week’s NFC championship game against the Seahawks.
And, yeah, this is the same Seahawks team that they beat in November in Los Angeles, the same Seahawks team they led by 16 points in the fourth quarter just a couple of weeks ago in Seattle before losing in overtime.
There will be no such collapse again. The Rams are tougher now. They’re more resilient now. After Sunday, they believe that they can survive anything now.
The Rams will win this rubber match against Seattle and advance to the Super Bowl, where they will play a young and untested New England Patriots team fresh off a sure victory against the suddenly quarterback-less Denver Broncos.
The Rams and coach Sean McVay owe the Patriots for that Super Bowl beating after the 2018 season. They will have their revenge, and with it their second championship in five years.
After what happened Sunday in Chicago, seriously, how can you believe anything else?
“They kept battling, they kept believing, and that’s what it’s about,” McVay said afterward. “There’s no style points, it’s about being able to survive and advance and we were able to do that in a hostile environment. … I love this team.”
How could you not?
Finding themselves in a tied game with the underdog Bears after three quarters in sub-20-degree temperatures, the Rams reeled off a 91-yard drive at the start of the fourth quarter and appeared headed for victory with Kyren Williams’ five-yard scamper into the end zone.
But on a fourth-down play with 18 seconds remaining, Bears quarterback Caleb Williams threw up a prayer while running from three Rams defenders and somehow, Cole Kmet got open and caught the ball in the end zone for an eventual game-tying touchdown.
“Can you guys believe they made that play right there?” McVay asked the media.
Just like that, it was overtime, and the Rams were forced to rely on a longtime McVay mantra.
“It was tough, but I thought what was great is, we can’t do anything about it, go on to the next play,” McVay said. “We always talk about being in the moment, being totally and completely present, and I thought our guys did a great job of that.”
Well, not initially. The stunned Rams went three-and-out on their first overtime possession, a team with a future Hall of Fame quarterback surrendering with three runs that were indicative of questionable McVay play-calling throughout the game.
“Man, I did not do a very good job for our group tonight, but I thought our guys were able to overcome it,” McVay said.
They began to overcome it on Kam Curl’s diving interception of Caleb Williams on the ensuing Bears drive, one of many dazzling plays by a surging Rams defense that created three turnovers.
“We were at our best in the most important moments,” McVay said. “You can feel those guys shine the brightest at their most important moments.”
The pick by Curl set up Matthew Stafford to unleash a 54-yard drive highlighted by a diving Davante Adams catch and a Nacua third-down grab.
Ten plays later, Harrison Mevis kicked a 42-yard field goal to finish it.
Their only concern for next week is Stafford’s sprained finger, which may have contributed to a performance that was below his standard, as he went 20 for 42 with no touchdowns.
“I could be better, but, you know, playoff football is about winning the football game,” Stafford said. “Played great, threw for a bunch of yards last year in the snow and we lost. That … sucks. … So happy to have played a little worse today and going home with the win.”
It was Stafford’s second game-winning, final-gasp drive in two playoff games. Does anybody not believe he can roll off two more?
“Helluva deal right there,” McVay concluded. “It was like, all right, the football gods are smiling on us.”
Helluva deal, helluva team, and the gods are just getting started.
The post If Bears miracle can’t beat the Rams, what can? Nothing and nobody appeared first on Los Angeles Times.
