Bear Digest

Trail of Bears success against Rams and Sean McVay at home exists

The Rams have a certified genius head coach with a huge coaching tree to his credit but history has its roots in the Bears in this matchup.
Gene Chamberlain|
The Bears wouldn't mind seeing Sean McVay leave Soldier Field this way again on Sunday.
The Bears wouldn't mind seeing Sean McVay leave Soldier Field this way again on Sunday. | Quinn Harris-Imagn Images

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Chicago Bears

You won't find Ben Johnson talking trash about the Los Angeles Rams the way he did about the Green Bay Packers after the 31-27 comeback win over Matt LaFleur and the Green Bay Packers.

"Yeah, I got nothing but respect for the opponent we're going to play this upcoming week because they're damn good," the Bears coach said.

Obviously the Rams are not the Packers, but coach Sean McVay has been a coach with two Super Bowl trips and brings in a reputation as a longtime NFL offensive genius. Part of the proof of this is how many of his assistants move on to bigger jobs elsewhere. The NFL Network reported offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur, passing game coordinator Nate Scheelhaase and defensive coordinator Chris Shula all are getting head coaching interviews.

Kevin O'Connell, Raheem Morris, Zac Taylor, Matt LaFleur, Brandon Staley,  former Bears interim head coach Thomas Brown and Liam Coen became head coaches and numerous other lower assistants have moved on to be coordinators, like former Bears offensive coordinator Shane Waldron did.

"I think it’s hard to gauge who’s best and who’s worst  when it comes to the coaching sometimes," Bears coach Ben Johnson said. "But there’s no question about it, he’s on the upper echelon. He’s done a phenomenal job, he has since he got to LA (2017)."

The Rams are No. 1 on offense, No. 1 at scoring and have allowed the fewest rushing touchdowns (8) in the league, although they're 10th in scoring defense and 17th in yards allowed.

"All of his teams are well prepared," Johnson said. "There’s no doubt that he’s  super sharp on the offensive side, but I think how he does it as a head coach, bringing all three phases together is really critical to their success.

"I think he does a great job, knows how to speak to the team with the pulse of the team and get the most out of them. Yeah, there’s a reason why they’re in it damn near every year since he’s been there."

Nevertheless, the Rams did lose to the Eagles, 49ers, Panthers, Seahawks and Falcons. All of those losses except the one to San Francisco were on the road, and they go to San Francisco so often it might as well be a home game.

McVay has been an infrequent visitor to Soldier Field, with trips there in 2018 and in 2024. Although he is known as an offensive genius, the Bears held his teams to six and 18 points in the two Bears wins under different defensive play callers, the first Vic Fangio with Jared Goff at quarterback in 2018 and the second last year with Matthew Stafford trying to pass against Matt Eberflus' defense.

Johnson's times facing the Rams as a coordinator didn't exactly turn into disasters. The Lions beat the Rams in Los Angeles to open the 2024 season 26-20 and ended the Rams' season in the previous game played by L.A., 24-23 in the 2023 playoffs at Detroit.

The Rams have been quite a different team under McVay in Los Angeles against the Bears.

They beat Chicago at home 34-14 in 2021, 24-10 in 2020 and 17-7 in 2019.

"They’re No. 1 in offense in a number of categories," Johnson said. "Their quarterback is playing at a really high level, an MVP-caliber level. And defensively, they create a lot of issues for you."

This home field situation between the Bears and Rams organization carries on into playoff history, as well. The only postseason game between the two at Soldier Field was the famed 1985 Bears NFC Championship game win, 24-0 as the snow fell. The only other one was in 1950 and the Rams won 24-14 in Los Angeles.

The Bears would love to hold serve against McVay and the Rams.

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.