Matthew Stafford and the Los Angeles Rams will enter their NFC Divisional showdown against the Chicago Bears knowing full well what lies ahead if they advance.
That is because the Rams and Bears are playing the final game of the week. It is an advantage in that they can begin game planning, even if only via methods like advanced scouting and film study, while working to dispatch the Bears from the postseason field.
However, a daunting task awaits McVay and the Rams.
Rams Could Face Major Challenge in NFC Championship Game After Schedule Update
GettyMatthew Stafford #9 of the Los Angeles Rams warms up before facing the San Francisco 49ers.
Stafford and the Rams may not have had a preference for a potential schedule or opponent in an NFC Championship Game matchup, but their most recent memories of the Seattle Seahawks are likely still fresh enough in LA’s collective memory.
If not, the Rams got a reminder of what the Seahawks can do in a 41-6 drubbing of the San Francisco 49ers on Saturday.
Seattle got to 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy for 2 sacks during the game.
However, they also disrupted him several other times beyond that, allowing Purdy to complete 55.5% of his passes for 140 yards, 0 touchdowns, and 1 interception. He ran five times for 37 yards, but the 2023 Pro Bowler was rarely comfortable facing the Seahawks’ historic defense.
The Rams split their regular-season matchups against the Seahawks, winning 21-19 in Week 11 but then losing 38-37 in overtime on “Thursday Night Football” in Week 15.
Notably, that loss came in Seattle, where the NFC Championship Game will take place.
The Seahawks have notably won two of the last three meetings against the Rams, who owned a three-game winning streak in the series before that. A matchup in the NFC Championship game would be the third time the two franchises have met in the postseason.
The Rams won both of them, including their most recent playoff meeting in 2020. That is the season LA was bounced in the Divisional Round by the Green Bay Packers.
The Rams traded for Stafford that offseason and won the Super Bowl in 2021.
Seattle is the NFC West champ and the No. 1 seed in the conference. They ranked sixth overall defensively during the regular season. However, they were the top scoring unit and emerged from their Wild Card bye in peak form.
Offensively, the Seahawks ranked third in scoring and eighth overall. Their ranking underscores their place as the No. 1 seed in the conference.
The Rams boasted the NFL’s No. 1 offense overall and in scoring.
Defensively, LA ranked 10th in scoring and 17th overall. That paints an ominous picture for a potential third act against the Rams, if they are able to topple the Bears and advance to the next round on the schedule.
NFL Announces Championship Sunday Schedule
GettyMatthew Stafford #9 of Los Angeles Rams looks on during a game against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
The Rams have long known when and which network the NFC Championship Game would be, with the NFL announcing the schedule for the next round.
The NFC Championship Game will be played at 6:30 p.m. ET (3:30 p.m. PT) on Sunday, January 25, regardless of whether or not the Rams make it into the field or not. That game will air on Fox and Fox One.
The AFC Championship Game is at 3:00 p.m. ET (Noon PT) on CBS and Paramount+.
LA was 9-4 in their games on Fox during the regular season. The Rams did not have a game on their schedule in the 3:00 p.m. ET time slot at all during the regular season.
They went 8-0 in the late-game (4:05 p.m. and 4:25 p.m. ET) slot, though. None of that will matter if Stafford and the Rams cannot knock off the next team on their playoff schedule. That is the Bears. It is expected to be a frigid affair on the road in the NFC Divisional Playoffs.
Rams Playoff Schedule News: Next Opponent, Date & Time