Rams Have A Significant Offensive Advantage For Bears Showdown

WOODLAND HILLS, Ca. The Los Angeles Rams are doing something that they haven't done in over two months. Preparing to enter a football game with a healthy tight end room.

Tyler Higbee, Colby Parkinson, Davis Allen, Terrance Ferguson, and Nick Vannett are a full go and here's why this is a massive swing of momentum towards Los Angeles.

McVay On Having His Full Arsenal of Tight Ends

On Friday, I asked Rams head coach Sean McVay about how having his full arsenal of tight ends impacts their offensive operation.

“It's big," stated McVay. "It's been great to be able to have [Tight End] Tyler Higbee be back in the mix. I think [Tight End] Nick Vannett has done a nice job when he's been asked to play a little bit more. Then getting [Tight End Terrance] Ferguson back is big. He had the weird hamstring injury a couple weeks ago, missed the last two games. He's feeling good. He’s running well. We're excited to be able to have those guys. It's not exclusive to the tight end room."

"I think we're relatively as healthy as you could hope to be. Getting [Wide Receiver] Jordan Whittington back in the receiver room is a big deal. We're grateful for that because there have been some years where you look at it going into your 19th game, normally you don't have the health that we do have. That's a credit to our players, to Reggie and his group. I’m very grateful. That room has obviously been really valuable and beneficial for us.”

Why This Matters

The Rams have not had their four tight ends active since their win against the Seattle Seahawks at home in the middle of November. That game is where Tyler Higbee got injured. Since the introduction of the heavy usage of 13 personnel, the Rams, when they have Higbee, Parkinson, Allen, and Ferguson available, are 4-0, and Matthew Stafford's numbers are insane.

Jan 4, 2026; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Rams tight end Tyler Higbee (89) reacts after scoring a touchdown against the Arizona Cardinals during the second half at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

In those four games, Stafford threw for over 650 yards. While that number isn't impressive on it's own, the context reveals championship-level efficiency. 13 personnel allowed Stafford to dissect defenses with dink and dunk passes, opening up lanes for their rushing attack.

In those four games, Stafford used those elements to toss 15 touchdowns and zero interceptions. Keep in mind, Higbee left in the middle of the fourth game, so these numbers reflect about 16 quarters of play.

Jan 10, 2026; Charlotte, NC, USA; Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford (9) drops back to pass against the Carolina Panthers 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

Now Stafford enters cold Chicago with weapons that won't force him to make desperate throws, allowing him to play his game.

Advantage. Rams.