Ben Johnson vs. Sean McVay is Playoff's Most Fascinating Matchup

Two of the best play callers are going to square off this Sunday in the NFL Divisional Round. The Los Angeles Rams and the Chicago Bears are going to clash in a great matchup. Rams head coach Sean McVay and Bears head coach Ben Johnson are two of the best in the NFL at getting their offense in the best position to score points. Now we are going to see these two go at it, with everything on the line.

The Rams are looking to get another road playoff victory, well the Bears are looking to get their second straight home victory. The winner of this one will go on to play in the NFC Championship game. At this point in the season, you want to see the best go at it, and that is what we are getting when these two take the field on Sunday.

wdee — Jan 10, 2026; Charlotte, NC, USA; Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay in the first half during the NFC Wild Card Round game at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

McVay on Ben Johnson

“I’ve studied him really closely from when he took over and started doing it in Detroit,” McVay said. “I think the guys that do the best job are the ones that you can see there’s a true understanding of what defenses are doing and an intent to try to be able to manipulate a lot of the rules and the coaching points."

"And to really try to attack your front mechanics, your coverage contours, understand some of the percentages of what you’re doing situationally, and then being able to maximize his player skill sets. You could see there’s a philosophy and core beliefs in terms of how he wants to build it.

wedew — Jan 4, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson looks on from the sideline against the Detroit Lions during the first half at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images | David Banks-Imagn Images

Johnson on Sean McVay

"It’s hard to gauge who’s best and who’s worst when it comes to coaching, but there’s no question about it — he’s in the upper echelon,” Ben Johnson said Monday. “All of his teams are well-prepared. There’s no doubt that he’s super sharp on the offensive side, but how he does it as a head coach, bringing all three phases together, is really critical to their success. He knows how to speak to the team and get the most out of them.

“There’s a reason why they’re in it damn near every year since he’s been there.”

deww — Jan 4, 2026; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay stands on the sidelines against the Arizona Cardinals during the first half at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

This is going to be a great game, and it is going to be one that a lot of people are going to be talking about. He are are going to see what these offenses do on Sunday, and it could come down to which defense could get a stop when it matters the most.

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