The Los Angeles Rams walked into Soldier Field with everything on the line. To start overtime, the score sat deadlocked at 17-17, and the Windy City was buzzing after a miracle throw from Caleb Williams pulled the Chicago Bears back from the edge. Still, the Rams found a way to escape with a 20-17 win. However, even with the result going their way, Sunday night quickly turned uncomfortable. Almost immediately, Sean McVay’s decision-making became the real story, and questions followed him.

Then, while facing the media, McVay did not dodge the moment. Instead, he owned it and called it “bad coaching” against the Bears. In that same breath, he hinted at losing trust in Matthew Stafford’s offense.

“It was tough, but I thought what was great was, hey, we can’t do anything about it,” he said. “Go on to the next play. Here we are in overtime. That happened then and is done with. And we always talk about being in the moment, being totally and completely present.”

After that, McVay went even deeper and turned the blame fully inward.

“I was really kicking myself because I felt like when we possessed the ball first and I had mentioned it, I thought that possession was going to really cost us. And there’s no excuse for that. I have to be better for our group. I will be better for our group.”

Finally, when you break it all down, the mistake is clear. McVay chose to run the ball on third down late in the fourth quarter. In that moment, he took the ball out of Stafford’s hands, and that decision nearly cost the Rams everything.

And in the postgame, McVay took the blame.

“I make a terrible third down in one call. No excuse for that; should have used the timeout,” he said. 

The Rams offense never found rhythm through the air against the Windy City defense. Even so, McVay kept leaning on Matthew Stafford’s arm. The veteran dropped back 46 times, connected on fewer than half of those throws, and absorbed four sacks. Still, the play calls stayed pass-heavy, leaving Rams Nation uneasy as the night dragged on at Soldier Field.

Soon after, the numbers caught attention.

Warren Sharp Football did not hold back, posting on X, “This is insane playcalling from McVay in the first half. 27 Stafford dropbacks. 7 RB runs. In a game the Rams led or were tied for 29 of 30 minutes in the 1st half. McVay is shook. Blake Corum has 1 rush attempt? This is crazy.”

That critique echoed loudly back in the City of Angels. Now let’s have a look at what happened in the game.

Sean McVay’s Rams survived close overtime

Everything tightened up in the fourth quarter as both sides stared at a season-defining moment. Sean McVay’s Rams briefly looked in control when Kyren Williams punched in a five-yard score to the right, and Harrison Mevis added the extra point to make it 17-10 with 8:50 left. Late in regulation, Caleb Williams found Cole Kmet on a short throw for 14 yards, and Cairo Santos calmly knocked in the extra point. With that, the game was tied at 17-17.

Then, overtime flipped the mood fast. On the Bears’ first possession, Kam Curl stepped in front of a deep throw and ripped the air out of the stadium. From there, Matthew Stafford went to work, hitting Puka Nacua on a 16-yard completion to push the Rams into range. Soon after, Mevis drilled a 42-yard field goal to end it.

Top Stories

Emotional Josh Allen Airs Refs’ Dirty Laundry as Bills’ Sean McDermott Erupts After Broncos Loss

NFL Makes Punishment Decision on Jordan Love Incident After Wild Card Loss to the Bears

Aaron Rodgers Makes Final Decision on Steelers’ Return After Emotional Goodbye to Mike Tomlin – Report

Sean McDermott Declares All Out War vs. NFL Ref as Josh Allen Airs Dirty Laundry After Bills’ Loss

Cam Skattebo Sends Expletive-Laced Message on Giants’ John Harbaugh Announcement

After that, the numbers told a messy but honest story. Stafford finished 20 of 42 for 258 yards and absorbed four sacks. Nacua settled for 56 receiving yards after his big night against Carolina, while Kyren Williams carried the load with 87 rushing yards and two scores.

On the other side, Caleb Williams threw for two touchdowns but also tossed three interceptions, finishing 23 of 42 for 257 yards as the Bears came up short under Ben Johnson.

Finally, there is no time to breathe. The Rams now head north to face their NFC West rivals in Seattle next Sunday, chasing their first conference title game appearance since the 2021 Super Bowl run. Rams Nation knows survival was just step one.