Rams vs. Bears weather: Frigid temperatures, heavy winds and snow in forecast for divisional round showdown
The Rams will have to contend with a cold, windy and potentially snowy day at Soldier Field
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The Los Angeles Rams will face the Chicago Bears on Sunday afternoon in a fascinating NFL divisional round showdown that will feature even more intrigue due to the weather forecast in Chicago.
The high in Chicago on Sunday is projected to be 21 degrees with the wind chill in the single digits at Soldier Field. On top of that, there's a 69% chance of light snow showers and 20 mph winds with gusts reaching 27 mph, per AccuWeather, as the Windy City will live up to its name. That will present a challenge for both teams, particularly in the passing game.
Even with a pair of strong-armed quarterbacks in Matthew Stafford and Caleb Williams, throwing the ball down the field in 20-plus mph winds is exceedingly difficult.
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The Bears should at least be accustomed to playing in cold weather, even if it won't be ideal conditions for Williams, their second-year quarterback. The conditions figure to aid in their home field advantage against a Rams team from sunny Los Angeles that plays their home games indoors.
Last year, the Rams lost 28-22 in the divisional round on a snowy evening in Philadelphia, and they may have to navigate similar cold and slick conditions on Sunday in Chicago. In that game, Matthew Stafford fumbled twice, losing one, and Kyren Williams also turned it over once with a fumble, with those two turnovers proving pivotal in a tight loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, the eventual Super Bowl champions.
Ball security will be paramount once again in frigid temperatures and potentially snowy conditions, and Stafford and the Rams will have to make some improvements on last year in that area if they are going to get the win.
Los Angeles is a 3.5-point favorite on the road even with the forecast calling for extreme cold and winds, with a point total of 48.5 at DraftKings Sportsbook.
