Jan 20, 2026
3 min read
Sean McVay admits he hasn't found his groove as a longtime player in Chicago.Matthew Stafford said his worst postseason game in a Los Angeles Rams uniform was out of rhythm, completing less than 50 percent of his throws for touchdowns.The Rams (14-5) won with a 20-17 overtime victory at Soldier Field and a trip to the NFC championship game in Seattle.
The Rams' OT win over the Bears capped a bad performance at a bad time by the NFL's top offense
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Sean McVay admits he couldn't find a flow as a point guard for a long time in Chicago.
Matthew Stafford showed he was never in a rhythm, completing less than 50% of his throws without a touchdown pass in his worst postseason game in a Los Angeles Rams uniform.
The Rams (14-5) still exit Soldier Field with a clutch 20-17 overtime win and a trip to the NFC Championship Game in Seattle.
But the coach and his quarterback agree that the league's most prolific offense in the regular season is not in tip-top shape heading only for a chance at the Super Bowl.
That's not great news for the championship chances of the Rams, the only team in the NFL's final four that didn't get there relying mostly on a dominant defense.
"It's mental mistakes that have prevented us from doing what we're capable of," McVay said Monday."There were a lot of situations (that) I first looked at and said, 'Okay, how do we explain it?'You give Chicago credit because they did a great job, but they were things we expected to be able to do."
McVay is always the first to take the blame for his team's failures, but his admission of execution errors suggests he sees clear areas for improvement among his players, whether it's an offensive line that had one of its weakest games of the season or a quarterback that hasn't been in MVP form in a single playoff game.
It's no fun being in that situation in January, but McVay also has undying faith in his ability to fix whatever is wrong with his team.
"It's really just a general mental mistake that we're not used to," McVay added."A lot of different people are involved, but when it comes to the type of players we have, as a coaching staff we're not doing a good job obviously."
That clarity depends on the coach, and McVay is a coach at heart.The Rams are in the NFC championship for the first time in four years and the third time under McVay, who won the first two times.
But he is busy this week as he turns 40 on Saturday.
The Rams had 340 rushing yards in Chicago, but had 174 rushing yards and just 279 rushing yards through the first three quarters.Ethan Evans threw a career-high eight touchdowns over the last three seasons in Los Angeles.
The Rams generally moved the ball effectively when they put it on the ground: Keren Williams had 87 yards on 21 carries and scored his first two touchdowns of the postseason.
But McVay repeatedly came away from that run game, completing 42 passes in cold, picky situations that made the home fans pull out their collective hair and likely inspired McVay's comment that he couldn't flow.
Stafford was 20 for 42 with more throws than usual and did not have a touchdown pass after throwing for multiple scores in his first seven postseason games with the Rams.
But for all that went wrong, the Rams in Seattle knew they had a chance: The NFC West rivals' first two meetings this season both resulted in the playoffs.
If not for Caleb Williams' miraculous TD catch in the final seconds of regulation, the Rams' defense would have held Chicago to 10 points with two interceptions and two fumbles.Los Angeles saw resilience and improvement from a unit that had been stagnant since Thanksgiving.
What needs help
The Rams got rid of the three tight end sets that have dominated their offensive game plan since midseason.The decision was likely due to a personnel mix-up, but it was a difficult shift to watch as Tyler Higbee got just eight snaps and Davis Allen just nine.Colby Parkinson and rookie Terrance Ferguson combined for four catches for 75 yards — albeit on 12 targets.
Safety Kam Curl had the biggest game of his NFL career in Chicago, leading the Rams with 13 tackles before throwing an overtime interception that led to the clinching score.The hard-nosed Curl - a pending unrestricted free agent - has been part of the back end of LA's defense for two seasons.
Stafford and his receivers probably feel they owe their teammates a big game at this point.Puka Nacua had five catches for 56 yards on 10 targets, while Davante Adams had just two catches on six targets.Los Angeles' lack of a reliable number 3 all season remains glaring.
LB Byron Young has a knee injury that can hold the Rams's sack leader out the week, while KB EMmanuel Forbes has a shoulder injury.Both are expected to play in Seattle, Mcvay has said.
12 - The Rams have been in the NFC Championship since Sunday.After losing six of their first seven, the Rams have reached four straight Super Bowls, including two in St.at the Greatest Show at Turf in Louis and two under McVay.
The Seahawks are favored behind their defense and their home crowd.However, the Rams allowed 37 points against that defense a month ago, and they won two playoff games in January - the third time that has happened in franchise history.
AP NFL: https://apnews.com/NFL
