He played 12 seasons in the NFC North before he was traded to the Rams, so quarterback Matthew Stafford is no stranger to cold-weather games.
On Sunday night, when the Rams play the Chicago Bears in an NFC divisional-round at Soldier Field, game-time temperatures could include a wind-chill below zero degrees.
Stafford, citing historic NFL games that were played in tough weather, said on Wednesday that he would embrace the elements.
“There’s something to it, right, that feels right when football’s outdoors, you’re playing late in the year, it’s cold, it means a lot,” Stafford said, adding, “I know it’s going to be a great crowd there, and it’ll be a lot of fun.”
Stafford, 37, suffered a sprained right index finger Saturday against the Carolina Panthers but still passed for 304 yards and three touchdowns, with an interception, in the 34-31 wild-card victory.
On Wednesday, he said that he suffered no residual effects in the immediate aftermath, that the finger was feeling “great” and that it would not affect his ability to grip or throw the ball on Saturday.
“Whatever it was there is gone now,” he said.
Still, all eyes will be on Stafford, and how the finger might affect his performance, when the Rams play the Bears in only the third playoff matchup between the teams.
“Fortunately,” coach Sean McVay said, “Matthew’s played in these conditions.”
Stafford said he would wear a snug, warming layer under his uniform that he first used with the Lions. Cold weather does not bother him, he said, and each game requires unique adjustments.
“You can’t just bunch ‘em all together,” he said, adding, “You just kind of figure it out as you go.”
Stafford has a 12-10 career record against the Bears. His 22 games against them is tied for the second most against any team, one behind the Minnesota Vikings.
He has a 5-7 record against the Bears at Soldier Field.
It did not go well for the Rams and Stafford the last time they played there. On Sept. 29, 2024, Stafford completed 20 of 29 passes for 224 yards, with an interception, in a 24-18 loss. The Rams had the ball with 1:03 left, but the Bears intercepted a pass to seal the Rams’ defeat.
Stafford played in two cold-weather games last season.
In late December against the New York Jets, the wind-chill factor was 14 degrees. Stafford completed 14 of 19 passes for 110 yards and a touchdown, with an interception, in a 19-9 victory.
In last season’s NFC divisional-round game at Philadelphia, with a wind-chill factor of 27 degrees, Stafford completed 26 of 44 passes for 324 yards and two touchdowns in a 28-22 defeat that ended with the Rams at the Eagles’ 22-yard line and an incomplete pass intended for Puka Nacua.
Now he faces a Bears defense that ranks poorly in most statistical categories, but leads the NFL with 23 interceptions. The unit also recovered 10 fumbles.
“That’s how they’ve thrived,” Stafford said.
During the regular season, the Bears gave up 24.4 points and 361.8 yards per game, which ranked 23rd and 28th, respectively, among 32 NFL teams. They were 27th in rushing defense (134.5 yards per game) and 22nd in pass defense (227.2)
Veteran safety Kevin Byard III had a league-best seven interceptions, cornerback Nahshon Wright five and linebacker Tremaine Edmunds four for a team that defeated the Green Bay Packers 27-24 in the wild-card round.
“They’ve got a… talented back end that catches the ball when it’s in their area,” Stafford said. “They do a nice job up front as well affecting the pocket.”
The Rams are preparing for Sunday in sunny and warm conditions in Woodland Hills. McVay joked that the Rams were going to get “the biggest cold plunge ever, and everybody’s going to see if we can sit in that thing for three hours.”
Hot or cold, the preparation will be the same, according to Stafford.
“We don’t care what the weather is here, what it is there,” he said. “Just go play.”
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