As the Chicago Bears continue their playoff run, the competition only increases.
After defeating the Green Bay Packers 31-27 at Soldier Field in the NFC Wild Card, the Bears will host the Los Angeles Rams in the Divisional Round.
That means the Bears will face a familiar opponent, someone who played in the NFC North for 12 seasons: Matthew Stafford. The Rams’ veteran quarterback finished his 17th season in the NFL and led the league with 4,707 passing yards and 46 touchdowns. Stafford, 37, played in all 17 games and threw just eight interceptions on 597 passing attempts.
“Yeah, I got nothing but respect for the opponent we’re going to play this upcoming week because they’re damn good,” Johnson said. “They’re No. 1 in offense in a number of categories. Their quarterback is playing at a really high level, an MVP-caliber level. And defensively, they create a lot of issues for you. So, this is going to take our best foot forward here to win this one this week.”
Ben Johnson getting ready to play future Hall of Famer Matthew Stafford
This Rams offense goes through the passing game. Puka Nacua caught 129 passes for 1,715 yards and 10 touchdowns. Davante Adams added another 789 yards and 14 touchdowns on 60 catches. And the offense features three tight ends that have at least 24 receptions.
There is plenty of firepower, and with head coach Sean McVay calling plays and Stafford executing, it will be a daunting task for Dennis Allen and his defense.
Johnson understands that Allen will have his hands full trying to game plan for a quarterback like Stafford.
“Man, I've got so much respect for that guy,” Johnson said. “You talk about the ultimate competitor. He's one of the more supremely talented throwers of the football I've ever been around in my life. He's outstanding. I think he's a great teammate. But what I think is second-to-none with him is his toughness, physical toughness. This guy's gone through a lot and yet finds a way to will himself onto the field to be there for his teammates. When you look at him from just a competitor standpoint, this is a really good player, and he's going to will himself to help his team out the most.”
The last time the Bears played Stafford was during the 2024 season. Chicago defeated Los Angeles, 24-20, and limited the Rams’ quarterback to zero touchdowns and an interception. That game was played on September 29 at Soldier Field, but the game coming up will have a much different climate.
Even though the Rams play indoors and aren’t necessarily used to the cold weather, that doesn’t really apply to Stafford.
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“I do know this will be the coldest game that they have played this year,” Johnson said. “That's something that I recognized when we found out who the opponent was, but I think that fact that Matthew Stafford has played well in cold games in his past, you know, I don't know how much of an advantage that gives you over their passing game necessarily, but there are a lot of elements that go into a game like this."