The oddsmakers say the Chicago Bears are home underdogs against the Los Angeles Rams in Sunday’s Divisional Round contest, but former NFL quarterback and Fox Sports broadcaster Tom Brady doesn’t necessarily agree.
During his broadcast of the Seattle Seahawks‘ blowout victory of the San Francisco 49ers on Saturday night, Brady offered his thoughts on the inherent advantages the Bears hold and the inherent difficulties the Rams face at Soldier Field.
“That really cold weather definitely plays to the advantage of the Bears. They have played in frigid conditions for the last six, seven weeks of their season,” Brady said, per FanSided. “We were up there a few times. We were freezing.”
“It didn’t really affect that offense very much — the Bears. They were running the ball so well,” Brady continued. “Caleb [Williams] scrambles when there’s nothing there. He’s got big time targets at all three levels. Ben Johnson always [has] a scheme play. It’s going to be a Herculean task for the Rams to go in there and win.”
Caleb Williams Has Grown Accustomed to Cold Weather Games, While Matthew Stafford Left Them Mostly Behind
GettyQuarterback Caleb Williams of the Chicago Bears.
Brady spoke earlier in the week about his own experiences in cold weather when discussing how quarterback Matthew Stafford, the longtime signal-caller of the Detroit Lions, might re-adjust to the winter weather in Chicago to which he was once so accustomed.
“Matt did play in Detroit for a long time, and in that division you did go outside to Chicago and Green Bay,” Brady told Colin Cowherd of Fox Sports, per SI. “It’s not like he hasn’t played in it. But I will say, when I went to Tampa after my time in New England, it didn’t take me very long to get very soft to the cold weather.”
Williams has played several games in harsh conditions over his two years in Chicago, which Brady contended matters a great deal.
“That is really cold and that’s a big advantage for Chicago because Chicago has played in these conditions now for the last six weeks. It’s been terrible weather in the Midwest,” Brady continued. “They played against Cleveland in the freezing cold. Caleb looked like it was just like he was playing at the Coliseum in L.A. He was firing that ball all over the field. He’s a really unique player. They’ve got a really unique team.”
Weather Should Play Major Role in Chicago on Sunday Night
GettyQuarterback Matthew Stafford of the Los Angeles Rams.
Oddsmakers have Chicago entering Sunday night’s contest as 3.5-point home underdogs, per DraftKings Sportsbook.
The weather will undoubtedly play a role in the game, particularly because of the evening kickoff time (6:30 p.m. ET on NBC).
The updated forecast projects a temperature of 19 degrees, though it will feel like -5 degrees due to other factors. Winds are predicted at 22 mph, with gusts up to 33 mph. Forecasters also expect a 70 percent chance of snow flurries with an accumulation of up to 0.3 inches of snowfall.
Despite that, the over/under for the game’s point total is holding steady at 48.5, which means oddsmakers expect a high-scoring affair between the NFL’s No. 1 and No. 6 offenses (Rams and Bears, respectively).
The winner will head to Seattle for the NFC Championship Game against the Seahawks on January 25 and the right to play in the Super Bowl in February.
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