The Los Angeles Rams secured a nail-biting win in Chicago to beat the Bears within the NFL play-offs and comply with the New England Patriots into the Conference Championships.
After main the Bears to a file variety of comeback victories this season, quarterback Caleb Williams had the prospect to clinch one other after throwing a surprising landing cross within the remaining seconds to ship Sunday’s Divisional Round sport into additional time.
Advertisement
However, the 2024 primary draft choose threw an interception and on the Rams’ subsequent drive, Harrison Mevis’ subject objective secured a 20-17 win in freezing situations in Illinois.
In Massachusetts, the Patriots additionally moved to inside one win of the Super Bowl, overcoming snow and the vaunted Houston Texans defence to win 28-16.
Los Angeles quarterback Matthew Stafford and Patriots counterpart Drake Maye are the main contenders for this season’s Most Valuable Player award and may nonetheless meet within the NFL’s title decider.
The Rams should journey to divisional rivals Seattle for the NFC Championship sport subsequent Sunday, whereas New England will go to the Denver Broncos within the AFC equal.
Advertisement
The winners will play in Super Bowl 60 on Sunday, 8 February at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California.
Williams comes up quick in newest miracle fightback
Although Chicago had been the NFC’s second seed, fifth ranked Los Angeles had been favourites to win at Soldier Field as they completed the common season with a greater file and are led by MVP frontrunner Stafford.
The 37-year-old helped the Rams win the Super Bowl in 2022 however has by no means received the distinguished MVP award, and his offence struggled to get moving into Chicago, the place the temperature dipped to -8C with a wind chill of -13C.
Although maybe lucky to be stage at 10-10 at half-time, the Rams inched forward within the fourth quarter when Kyren Williams obtained the primary rating of a decent second half, working in a landing from 5 yards.
Advertisement
However, the Bears have received a file seven games this season when trailing inside the ultimate two minutes. True to kind, with 18 seconds remaining, Williams was flushed out of the pocket earlier than launching a hopeful cross about 40 yards that was grabbed by tight finish Cole Kmet in the long run zone.
Chicago’s defence then obtained a cease on the primary possession of additional time however Williams, who has been nicknamed ‘the Iceman’ for his skill to ship below strain, was intercepted for the third time in Sunday’s sport.
At the opposite finish of the sphere, Mevis made no mistake from 42 yards to finish an exciting season for the long-suffering Bears followers, the spotlight being the group’s first play-off win in 15 years last week.
In Ben Johnson’s first yr as head coach and Williams’ second, they helped Chicago go from worst to first within the NFC North, enhancing their file from 5-12 in 2024 to 11-6 this time.
Advertisement
“Some things you just can’t coach – he’s got that,” Johnson stated of his quarterback. “I know he’s feeling it because we had some turnovers in there, but we’ll remember this and he’s going to be stronger for it.”
How Maye may eclipse Brady this season
New England have additionally made an surprising play-off look this season with a brand new head coach in Mike Vrabel and a fellow second-year quarterback in Maye taking them from backside to prime of their division.
The Patriots improved from 4-13 in 2024 to 14-3 to clinch the AFC’s second seed, with that 10-win swing tied for the most important turnaround in NFL historical past.
Advertisement
It is the primary time the Patriots have received the AFC East division title and reached the AFC Championship sport since legendary quarterback Tom Brady’s final two seasons in New England (2018 and 2019).
And in Maye, the third total choose within the 2024 draft, the Patriots have lastly discovered Brady’s long-term successor.
At 23, he’s a yr youthful than the file seven-time Super Bowl winner was when he claimed his first NFL title in 2002, and Maye once more confirmed a maturity past his years on Sunday.
Both he and reverse quantity CJ Stroud struggled with the wintry situations and Maye had three turnovers – two from fumbles and one an interception. He was additionally sacked 5 occasions.
Advertisement
However, he additionally delivered three landing passes, two to assist set up a 21-10 lead at half-time and the latter a 32-yard deep shot within the fourth quarter to Kayshon Boutte, who made an outstanding one-handed seize to seal victory.
Meanwhile, after throwing simply eight interceptions in 14 games throughout the common season, Houston’s third-year quarterback Stroud gave up 4 picks within the first half alone, with one in every of them returned for a landing by Marcus Jones.
For the Texans, this was a 3rd straight exit at this stage within the play-offs, regardless of having the NFL’s top-ranked defence this season and profitable 10 straight games coming into it.
Ironically, in subsequent week’s AFC Championship sport, Maye will face Jarrett Stidham, who was initially seen as Brady’s successor when he was drafted by the Patriots in 2019 and performed that season as his back-up.
Advertisement
It by no means labored out in New England for Stidham however, after becoming a member of Denver in 2023, the 29-year-old will make solely the fifth begin of his NFL profession as a result of the Broncos’ first-choice quarterback Bo Nix broke his ankle of their win over Buffalo on Saturday.
When are the Conference Championships?
Conference seed in brackets, all kick-off occasions GMT
Sunday, 25 January
-
AFC Championship: New England Patriots (2) @ Denver Broncos (1) – 20:00
-
NFC Championship: Los Angeles Rams (5) @ Seattle Seahawks (1) – 23:30