The Los Angeles Rams had to be deflated after Caleb Williams pulled off one of the most remarkable highlights in NFL playoff history,a wild fourth-down touchdown pass with the Chicago Bears' season on the line to tie the gamewith 18 seconds left in the fourth quarter.
And when the Rams punted to start overtime, then let the Bears start driving downfield, it seemed like the Bears' magical season would continue to the NFC championship game.
But the Rams also know how to win close games. Williams threw an interception to Rams safety Kam Curl with the Bears getting close to field-goal range. Then it was Matthew Stafford's turn to show why he's the likely NFL MVP.
Stafford drove the Rams downfield, hitting Puka Nacua on a huge third-down play to get the Rams into field-goal range, and Los Angeles ended the Bears' season on a field goal by Harrison Mevis for the 20-17 win. The Rams are moving on to the NFC championship game in Seattle where they'll face the top-seeded Seahawks.
The Seahawks and Rams played two games that came down to the final play in the regular season, including a wild Week 16 comeback for the Seahawks. They'll face each other a third time in theNFC championship game next Sunday evening.
The Rams won't be overwhelmed by the moment. They've already survived two white-knuckle games to move to the NFL's final four.
Chicago's bitter cold, snow affect offenses
The Bears have been a second-half team for much of the season, but the first half on Sunday night was pretty good for them.
Chicago outgained the Rams 210-148 in the first half. The Bears did a good job limiting Nacua, who had three catches for 27 yards at that point, and shutting out Davante Adams in the first half.
The Bears weren't running it great in the cold weather but Williams played well. He had 155 yards and a touchdown in the first half. He also had an interception on a fourth down, one of the three times the Bears went for it on fourth down in the first half. The only time they converted on a fourth down was a big one. Williams hit DJ Moore for a 3-yard touchdown for the Bears' only touchdown of the first half.
The Rams were out of sorts, and the weather was a factor. It was cold, with light snow coating the field. It's not the type of weather a team from Southern California will naturally adapt to easily. The Rams were leaning on Stafford and the passing game, but it wasn't effective in the conditions. That hasn't been the case often this season for Stafford, who is the favorite to win NFL MVP.
It was Bears weather, and that helped keep the game low-scoring and close. It was tied 10-10 going into the fourth quarter.
Rams survive another jaw-dropping TD from Caleb Williams
The third quarter was scoreless but there was plenty of excitement to come in the fourth quarter and overtime.
The Rams drove downfield and took a 17-10 lead when Kyren Williams scored on a 5-yard touchdown run to the right side. The Bears had a long drive after that but the Rams had a goal-line stand, stopping three runs and then batting down a pass on fourth down to take over on downs.
The Rams couldn't run out the rest of the clock and punted at the two-minute warning. A bad punt in the cold landed at the 50-yard line, giving the Bears great field position. And Chicago has been good at winning games with late heroics all season.
The Bears reached the 14-yard line. Williams, who has made huge plays under pressure all season, retreated to about the 40-yard line under pressure on fourth-and-4 and somehow lofted a pass all the way to an open Cole Kmet in the end zone.
The Rams thought there was a push-off by Kmet but there was no penalty called.
In the wild-card round, Williams had some marvelous plays in a comeback win over the Packers. Another ridiculous highlight play by Williams on Sunday night led to a 17-17 tie with 18 seconds left.
The Bears, like the Bills did on Saturday at Denver, won the overtime coin toss and chose to kick off. The Rams were surprisingly conservative to start overtime, running three times and then punting. The Bears were moving when Williams tried a deep pass but was intercepted by Curl deep downfield.
Williams said the pick was a result of miscommunication on a route between him and Moore.
That got the Rams going. Stafford started completing passes and got the Rams into Bears territory. One third-and-6 he hit Nacua, who dragged Bears defenders for a 16-yard gain to the 27-yard line, within field-goal range. The Rams couldn't get it much further but Mevis hit the field goal to win it.
The last time the Rams played at Seattle, they led 30-14 with less than nine minutes left but couldn't close out a win and ended up losing on a 2-point conversion by the Seahawks in overtime. Despite that loss, many still felt the Rams were the best team in the NFL and the correct pick to make it to Super Bowl LX out of the NFC. We'll find out next Sunday.
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Jason Owens
Jason Owens
Miracle Chicago season comes to heartbreaking end
What a game. What a season in Chicago.
Caleb Williams extended Chicago's season with a miracle touchdown pass, then breathed new life back into the Rams with an interception in overtime. The Rams converted that chance into a game-winning field goal by Harrison Mevis, and they're headed to the NFC championship to face the NFC West rival Seahawks.
A sensational season in Chicago, meanwhile, comes to a heartbreaking end.
Jason Owens
Harrison Mevis kicks Rams into NFC championship
The Rams are going to the NFC championship game. Harrison Mevis is good from 42 yards, and the Rams have converted Caleb Williams' overtime interception into a game-winning field goal.
The Rams are on to a championship matchup against the Seattle Seahawks.
The Bears were driving after converting on fourth down near midfield.
But Kam Curl came up with a play that might have saved the Rams' season. Curl ran under an underthrown ball from Williams downfield and picked it off for Williams' third interception of the game.
The next score secures a trip to the NFC championship game, and Los Angeles has the ball back.
With the season on the line on fourth-and-4, Williams faced intense pressure from the Rams' pass rush and threw a prayer off his back foot into the end zone. The prayer was answered.
Cole Kmet caught the 14-yard pass that traveled more than 40 yards in actual distance, and we're headed to overtime.
Caleb Williams has a chance to mount another comeback win. The Rams couldn't run out the clock and punted back to the Bears while holding a 17-10 lead.
Chicago has the ball and needs a touchdown with 1:50 remaining in regulation. They'll start with great field position at the 50 with a timeout in their pocket. Can Williams do it again?
Jason Owens
Rams come up with huge goal line stand
With less than 4 minutes remaining, the Bears faced first-and-goal from the 5 with their season potentially on the line. They did not convert.
After picking up 3 yards on two runs, the Bears looked to D'Andre Swift on third down. Quentin Lake leveled his leaping effort to cross the goal line with a devastating tackle in the air.
Then on fourth down, Caleb Williams threw incomplete into traffic into the end zone. The Rams have the ball and the chance to run out the clock with a 17-10 lead with 3:03 remaining and a trip to the NFC championship on the line.
QUENTIN LAKE TO PREVENT THE TOUCHDOWN!!! #RAMS BALL!
With points at a premium, the Rams didn't kick a chip-shot field goal on fourth-and-1 from the 7. Instead, they ran an end-around for Puka Nacua, who powered his way for a first down.
One play later, Kyren Williams ran around the right edge for a 5-yard touchdown and a 17-10 lead with 8:50 remaining. If the Bears are going to win, they'll need to mount another come-behind victory in the fourth quarter.
The Bears looked to running back Kyle Monangai after Caleb Williams set them up with third-and-1 via a scramble. Jared Verse sniffed out the play.
The two-time Pro Bowl defender stuffed Monangai for a 1-yard loss, and the Bears opted to play the field-position game with a punt on fourth-and-2 from near midfield.
Neither team has gained traction in the second half, and the game remains tied at 10-10 early in the fourth quarter.
Matthew Stafford threw 3 straight incompletions after the Cobie Durant interception, and the Rams didn't move the ball from the 50-yard line. Chicago has the ball back after a punt.
The game's locked in a 10-10 tie with 3 minutes remaining in the third quarter.
Jason Owens
Caleb Williams throws another interception to Cobie Durant
Is this the mistake that changes the game?
Caleb Williams just threw his second interception to Cobie Durant. And unlike his first, it wasn't on a downfield throw on fourth down.
Durant picked off Williams on second-and-15 at midfield, and the Rams have a prime opportunity to take the lead with 4:02 remaining in the game.
We're now at 3 first-half possessions and 3 punts. The Rams went 3-and-out after a first-down fumble resulted in an 8-yard loss, and the Bears have the ball back in a 10-10 game with 5:30 remaining in the third quarter.
Points are at a premium. How will these coaches handle fourth-down decisions as the game moves on?
Jason Owens
The Rams didn't do much with the first drive of the second half and punted after gaining 19 yards. The Bears have the ball and the chance to take the lead.
Jason Owens
Key first-half stats: Rams 10, Bears 10
It was a relatively clean first half for both teams, with the only turnover of the game a Caleb Williams interception downfield on fourth-and-3.
Both teams have struggled to move the ball after impressive early touchdown drives. And both teams finished the first half with a field goal.
Chicago's been more efficient on offense, but has turned the ball over twice on downs. Nobody's blinked yet in the frigid Soldier Field conditions. This may come down to who makes the fewest mistakes in the second half.
Rams Matthew Stafford: 12 of 24, 144 yards, 0 TDs, 0 turnovers Kyren Williams: 6 carries, 24 yards, 1 TD; 4 catches for 30 yards Puka Nacua: 3 catches for 27 yards Jordan Whittington: 2 catches for 35 yards
Bears Caleb Williams: 13 of 19 for 155 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT D'Andre Swift: 6 carries for 33 yards Colston Loveland: 3 catches for 38 yards DJ Moore: 3 catches for 37 yards, 1 TD
Rams total offense: 148 yards on 4.4 yards per play Bears total offense: 210 yards on 6.4 yards per play
Rams: 0 for 0 on 4th down Bears: 1 for 3 on 4th down, 1 TD
Jason Owens
Rams answer with FG, tie game before halftime
The Rams answered Chicago's field goal with one of their own, and the game goes into halftime tied at 10-10.
Harrison Mevis was good from 32 yards at time expired to cap a nip-and-tuck first half.
Harrison Mevis empata o jogo em 10x10 e assim termina o primeiro tempo!
Bears don't go for it, and Cairo Santos is good from 48
For the first time in four opportunities, Ben Johnson opted not to go for it on fourth down. Kicker Cairo Santos rewarded his confidence with a 48-yard field goal in suboptimal conditions on fourth-and-4, and the Bears have a 10-7 lead with 1:10 remaining in the first half.
Santos gives the Bears the lead on the 48-yard field goal
The Rams didn't do much with the ball after forcing a turnover on downs. They punted back to the Bears after a 3-and-out, and the game remains tied at 7 late in the second quarter.
Jason Owens
Rams stop Bears on 4th down
On fourth-and-1 and facing a 50-yard field goal attempt in blustery Solider Field conditions, the Bears made the obvious decision and opted to go for it at the Los Angeles 32.
They did not get it. The Rams stuffed Kyle Monangai behind the line of scrimmage, and Los Angeles takes over on downs in a 7-7 game with 4:26 remaining in the first half.
The Bears are now 1 for 3 on fourth-down, with their successful attempt scoring a touchdown.
A slow developing handoff to Bears RB Kyle Monangai lined up eight yards behind the line was the best we had there Ben Johnson?
The Bears got a stop after holding the Rams to 17 yards on their second possession and have the ball back in the second quarter with the chance to take the lead. The game's tied at 7-7 midway through the second quarter.
