Sean McVay's history in Chicago is a reason for optimism in the Divisional Round

The Sean McVay-led Rams have virtually always been a great team, but they haven't played like it in Chicago.

Sep 29, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bears defensive end Darrell Taylor (52) pressures Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford (9) at the end of the second half at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images | Matt Marton-Imagn Images

Simply put, the Rams are stacked. They're one of the best teams in the league, and absolutely cannot be taken lightly. A few weeks ago, I said they were the team that I least wanted the Bears to match up with in the Wild Card Round.

With that said, they are far from unbeatable, especially against a Bears team that doesn't have an ounce of quit in them. In fact, there are a few factors that actually seem to be going in Chicago's favor for the Divisional Round clash.

For starters, a cold front is expected to arrive this weekend, and the Rams play in an indoor stadium in the heart of Los Angeles. Their coldest game of the year was played in 45-degree temperatures. It's still too early to be sure just how blustery Sunday's game will be, but temperatures are expected to hover around single digits.

Another factor going in Chicago's favor is Sean McVay's less-than-stellar history at Soldier Field. He has yet to win a game in Chicago.

The Bears will host the Rams next weekend in the divisional round.

They last played the Rams in the playoffs on Jan. 12, 1986, a 24-0 Bears win in the NFC championship at Soldier Field.

The Bears are 2-3 against Sean McVay, but 2-0 in Chicago.

— Kevin Fishbain (@kfishbain) January 12, 2026

Those were good teams that the Bears beat, too. They were 11-1 and had one of the league's best offenses when they came into Soldier Field for a Week 13 matchup in 2018. Chicago held that top-flight offense, which put up 54 points against the Chiefs three weeks prior, to six points and came away with an impressive 15-6 win. Interestingly, that game was also played in frigid temperatures. It was 29 degrees at kickoff.

They also hosted Los Angeles in Week 4 of last season. The Rams might've stumbled out of the gates to begin the year (they started 1-2), but they went on to go 10-7 and just missed the playoffs. They were a talented team. Nevertheless, the Bears went on to win 24-18.

The Rams aren't the world beaters that they looked like around midseason, and four out of their five losses this season have come on the road. Meanwhile, the Bears might not always look pretty, but they've proven to be a team that never dies easy.

I'm not sure which team will come out on top on Sunday, but I know Chicago is going to put up one hell of a fight.

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