The Chicago Bears hosted the Los Angeles Rams for the right to travel to Seattle for the NFC Championship game on the line, the final game before Super Bowl LX.
As anyone who has watched the Bears this season would expect, it came down to the wire in an overtime battle. The Bears may not have come out on top, but not only did they cover the spread (3.5pts), but they went further than nearly anyone expected this season. Here are my notes from the final game of the 2025 season.
Offense:
- Loved the first play of the game on the bootleg rollout pass to DJ in the flat that he took 30+ yards upfield. Arguably, our best opening play of the entire season.
- Swift followed up with some nice running early, and I was once again flummoxed as to why he did not get more burn in this one.
- Not to sound hyperbolic, but I felt it then, and I still feel it now that the dropped TD by Rome was the biggest play of the game. An absolute backbreaker with a chance to finally score a TD on the opening drive, only to ultimately give the ball back to LA without putting up any points. Caleb’s pass was absolutely on point, and his accuracy seemed mostly great all day. Gotta have that one if you are Rome. And he dropped a couple of others, too. Big time disappointment.
- Burden III continues to make plays every game where he looks like the best athlete on the field. Though he seemed to struggle with his assignments on a couple of occasions, somewhat of an issue at this point in the season, he actually looks like our best WR in my opinion. From route-running to his ability to catch the ball away from his body and then his electricity with the ball in his hands, Burden III could become WR1 sooner rather than later.
- Not a huge fan of all the 4th down attempts in this one. At or beyond the 50 yard line? Sure. I can get it with the wind and weather conditions affecting the kicking game. But back on our side of the field? Not a fan. Furthermore, I feel like Ben called a different game in these playoffs than he had during the regular season and I am not sure that drastically switching up tendencies when it matters most is the best idea. If you aren’t going to go for it in the regular season like that, why do so in the playoffs?
- Additionally, and I know we had Thuney at LT and McFadden at LG, but we continued to struggle controlling the LOS this week, like we have the last few. I personally thought they got predictable against the Rams, almost forcing each run to the right side where Jackson and Wright lined up and wished they had run some counters to the left, but alas…
- Speaking of...
Windy City Gridiron
