The Chicago Bears are hosting the Los Angeles Rams in an NFC Divisional Game on Sunday. The upcoming showdown taking place in the Windy City gives the Bears a huge boost, as they have found plenty of success at home this season, logging a 7-2 record at Soldier Field, including last week's wild-card win.
With gameday around the corner, the weather is a factor in this contest and has a chance to be one of the coldest games in Bears history. According to the National Weather Service, temperatures are expected to drop to 11 degrees by the evening, with a low of around seven degrees.
It will be freezing in Chicago and could tie for the 10th-coldest game in team history.
Bears-Rams Game Could Be One of the Coldest Games in Team History
Fox Forecast Center is also giving this game a high ROWI (Risk of Weather Impact), with wind gusts expected to have an impact on the contest. The Bears are used to having chilly games, and this could be something that works in their favor.
Safety Kevin Byard revealed that head coach Ben Johnson has made the team practice without heaters this season (h/t @bearszn). It wasn't a decision that was fond among players at first, but they see it making a difference now.
Nonetheless, the team should be ready for an all-time cold outing, which isn't new to this organization, judging by the Bears' history in frigid conditions:
Coldest Games in Chicago Bears History |
|---|
11 degrees (-1 Wind Chill) on Dec. 23, 1990 versus Tampa Bay |
11 degrees (-4 Wind Chill) Dec. 18, 2016 versus Green Bay |
10 degrees (-3 Wind Chill) Dec. 11, 1977 versus Green Bay |
10 degrees (-5 Wind Chill) Dec. 17, 1989 versus Green Bay |
9 degrees (-12 Wind Chill) Dec. 24, 2022 versus Buffalo |
8 degrees (-9 Wind Chill) Dec. 9, 2013 versus Dallas |
8 degrees (-1 Wind Chill) Dec. 14, 2025 versus Cleveland |
4 degrees (-12 Wind Chill) Jan. 10, 1988 versus Washington |
3 degrees (-15 Wind Chill) Dec. 18, 1983 versus Green Bay |
2 degrees (-13 Wind Chill) Dec. 22, 2008 versus Green Bay |
Although the contest against the Rams won't be the coldest game to take place in Chicago, it sure will be one of them. Potentially being tied for 10th with an expected temperature of 11 degrees isn't ideal for the fans in the crowd and could also have an impact on the game.
Yet the weather could work out in their favor since the Rams are a California team that plays its home games in a dome. No matter what they do, nothing can truly prepare them for what it will feel like on the field.
Los Angeles played just one game this season where it was chilly, with the temperature being 45 degrees in Week 13 against the Carolina Panthers. The Rams lost that game 31-28, where Matthew Stafford went 18-of-28 for 243 passing yards, two passing touchdowns, and two interceptions.
Fast forwarding to now, Stafford is dealing with a sprained right index finger on his throwing hand. That injury with the combination of the weather, will have an impact that works out for the Bears.
This contest will be exciting, and it's shaping up to be one of the coldest games in team history. How the Bears defend their home turf in this chilly outing will be something to watch, as a trip to the NFC Championship Game is on the line.