Sean McVay, Matthew Stafford and Davante Adams on preparing for Rams’ cold-weather divisional round matchup with Bears

“It’s one thing where you see (Bears quarterback Caleb Williams) play in time and in rhythm, good accuracy and anticipation. But then some of those second reaction plays where he’s getting flushed to his right or getting flushed to his left and guys understand how to be able to work with him, those are the ones that are really scary.” – McVay

McVay said that the first overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft is “playing at a high clip,” with his ability to understand concepts and read defenses, but the out of structure plays are the ones that can really change the game. Williams’ ability to avoid sacks combined with Johnson’s tendency to “use all five eligibles” to create favorable matchups have elevated this offense to one of the league’s best, and McVay is acutely aware of the impact that can have. He complimented Chicago’s ability to finish games and create explosives, both of which were pivotal to their comeback wild-card win over Green Bay last week.

In terms of the cold, McVay said “there’s a couple things you have to be mindful of,” but they have found ways to adjust to those circumstances in the past, and intend to do so again on Sunday. “I think you do have to have a feel, but I think the way that our guys play, I think it suits us well in any sort of conditions, and that’s kind of what we’ve always said,” McVay said. He joked that they would “get the biggest cold plunge ever” before practice to prepare for the cold before reiterating that they won’t “waste our emotional energy on things that we can’t control.”

When asked if he’s spoken with Packers head coach Matt LaFleur, who was a former offensive coordinator with the Rams and the brother of current OC Mike LaFleur, McVay smiled and said, “What do you think? … We watch the tape, we do our work, and Matt is a very close friend of mine.” LaFleur is very familiar with Johnson, having played his Bears three times this season and several times a year when Johnson was the offensive coordinator in Detroit.

“You just got to go figure out what the elements are, how it’s going to affect the ball, go play… So you just kind of figure it out as you go. So each one is its own unique set of circumstances. I know that both teams are playing in it. You just go out there and execute the best you can.” – Stafford

Stafford has a scuba suit that he’s worn under his uniform during cold-weather games dating back to his days in Detroit. He plans to do so again on Sunday because it keeps him warmer, but “it’s not skin-tight,” he said. When asked if playing in that kind of outdoor, freezing environment is fun, Stafford said “I think so… That feels right when football’s outdoors, you’re playing it late in the year, it’s cold, it means a lot. So I’m embracing it, I know our team is as well.”

After spraining the index finger on his throwing hand during last week’s wild-card win, Stafford said it feels “great” and doesn’t expect the cold to affect how it will feel come game day.

The Bears led the league in defensive turnovers this season, and Stafford acknowledged that creating those plays is how that defense has “thrived” and has given them some points as well throughout the year. “I think it boils down to who their players are,” Stafford said. “They’ve got a really good back end, talented back end that catches the ball when it’s in their area. They do a nice job up front as well, affecting the pocket. So it’ll be a big challenge for us.”

The Rams are planning on getting some reinforcements, however, in Dotson, who has been out since Week 16. “He’s a mountain of a man,” Stafford said of Dotson. “He’s a beast. When he was playing this year, I thought he was one of the best guards, if not the best guard in the league. if we can get him back, obviously that would be a huge boost. His physicality, his ability to go out there and play is great, but also just the energy he brings.”

“I mean, there’s going to be a little bit of rust, obviously, any time you take a little bit of time away from the game action. It takes you a little bit of time to get back into it. Like I said after the game, I don’t think I played great, but I don’t know how much I would attribute it to missing a few weeks, maybe some of it.” – Adams

Adams caught five passes on 13 targets for 72 yards against the Panthers last week in his first game back from a hamstring injury. He wasn’t satisfied with that performance when talking to reporters after the game and then again on Wednesday, and didn’t attribute those struggles to his own health or Stafford’s finger getting hit mid-game. He didn’t know that the injury had happened until after the game, and didn’t see a difference in his quarterback’s play. “He’s not wanting to make a big deal out of stuff like that,” Adams said.

There is nothing Adams can do personally to help his teammates prepare for sub-freezing temperatures as a former Packer, but he said that everyone has “tricks of the trade.” Adams has never worn sleeves in a game in his entire life, so he will be enduring the cold at Soldier Field without layers.

Adams reiterated how grateful he is to be in a position to play meaningful football in January, saying “We get to play a kid’s game, for a king’s ransom. So at the end of the day, I’m grateful for all the opportunities.”