Rams-Bears Could Be Cinema ... And That's Not Good for LA

We've all seen sports movies. They typically follow the same formula. The upstart star and/or team overcomes a series of adversities, constantly derided and doubted the entire way, before they ultimately pull off the big upset that turns them from a feisty competitor into a legitimate superpower. Rocky, Major League, The Mighty Ducks — you name it.

The reason that it's such a common trope, though, is because it does happen in sports quite often. Miracle, Hoosiers, and even Seabiscuit are all based on true stories of incredible feats achieved by underdogs. The Los Angeles Rams find themselves on the wrong side of the hero's journey in their upcoming matchup with the Chicago Bears.

Los Angeles Rams, NFL, Chicago Bears, Matthew Stafford — Sep 29, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford (9) is sacked and fumbles the ball by Chicago Bears defensive end Montez Sweat (98) during the first half at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images | Matt Marton-Imagn Images

The Rams have to stave off the Bears and destiny itself

When the Los Angeles Rams take on the Chicago Bears in the Divisional Round, it'll feature a Hollywood team, built upon a foundation of megastars, trying to lay seige to a spunky Midwest squad, whose last playoff run before this season came in 2010. Now, two young and scrutinized hotshots in Caleb Williams and Ben Johnson are looking to continue their Cinderella run together by knocking off LA. NFL.com's Tom Parr laid out the formula, picking the Bears to pull off another upset, 25-22:

"As we've explained multiple times since the postseason began, there are ample reasons to believe L.A. is best positioned to finish on top. It might even be kind of nice to see the narrative of this weird, wacky season subverted by a star QB and coach winning a title the old-fashioned way: by dominating opponents via their superior talent, game-planning and scheme. That is not how the Bears, god love 'em, got here.

Chicago's thrilling ride to the second seed was built on gutsy rallies and narrow escapes, which makes it tricky to back this team in any given week, let alone against a well-rounded foe like the Rams in the playoffs."

BEARS COMPLETE THE COMEBACK 🔥

From down 21-3 at half, to beating the Packers and advancing to the NFC divisional round. pic.twitter.com/CB30qfY5hY
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) January 11, 2026

"Might I be haunted by this pick, like I was by my ill-fated decision to back the scrappy [Washington] Commanders over the objectively better [Philadelphia] Eagles in last year's NFC title game? Sure. Then again, couldn't I also be haunted if I picked the Rams, like I was by my decision last week to back the objectively better Eagles over the scrappy [San Francisco 49ers]? If a haunting is on the table no matter what, I might as well live my truth and throw in for some more Bears magic."

LA knows it'll be the villains in this matchup. The Rams are on the road to try to stomp out the hearts of a young, rising team and an entire city, and a whole host of objective observers who will naturally root for the underdog. Hell, they'll be going against the heavens themselves, which will be bringing a cold front that could only benefit the Bears. Head Coach Sean McVay, Matthew Stafford, and the rest of the team have no choice but to be the villains. On Sunday night, they could join the ranks of Apollo Creed, Carter High School, and Max Baer.

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