Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson will be going up against a familiar face in Los Angeles Rams starting quarterback Matthew Stafford, as the two spent time together with the Detroit Lions.
The Bears are coming off a comeback win over the Green Bay Packers, while the Rams squeezed out a tight matchup with the Carolina Panthers. Now these two teams will be looking to punch their ticket to the NFC title game.
Ahead of the divisional round matchup, Johnson spoke on ESPN Chicago and shared his thoughts on Stafford as his team prepares to make life uncomfortable for the veteran signal-caller.
“I had the privilege of being with Matthew Stafford for two years there in Detroit,” Johnson said on Jan. 12. “Take the physical talent out of it because he’s one of the more talented throwers of the football that I’ve ever seen in my life.
“You take that out of it, I don’t know if I’ve been around a tougher player, and that’s something you don’t really expect to say about a quarterback. I’ve got a tremendous amount of respect for him, who he is as a competitor. We’ve got our work cut out for us here this week.”
Ben Johnson Doesn’t Hold Back on Sean McVay
Moreover, Johnson also shared his thoughts on Rams head coach Sean McVay, as he will be looking to get the best of him to help Chicago reach the NFC title game.
“There’s a reason why Sean McVay is revered as much as he is as a head coach,” Johnson added. “He does as good of a job, if not better, than everybody else in the NFL. I think it starts there with him. They’re good every single year. I think their defense is playing really good football. Offensively, it’s the best offense in football statistically, in yards per game and yards per play.”
Rams QB Matthew Stafford Is Dealing With Finger Injury
Heading into the game against the Bears, the Rams’ starting quarterback is dealing with an injury that he intends to play through. Stafford started the Rams’ win over the Panthers in impressive fashion but struggled with accuracy for much of the game after injuring his finger. In the fourth quarter, he turned it around, completing 12 of 15 passes for 143 yards and two touchdowns.
McVay highlighted that performance during his postgame press conference, praising Stafford’s ability to be accurate immediately after the injury. The coach also expressed increased confidence in Stafford’s condition on Jan. 12.
“Rams QB Matthew Stafford has a sprain on his index finger,” LA Daily News’ Adam Grosbard reported in a post on X on Jan. 12. “Sean McVay says he’ll be good to go on Sunday against the Bears.”
Stafford completed the Panthers game with 304 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception on 57.1 percent of his passes. He downplayed the seriousness of the injury afterward but acknowledged it did play a role in his performance.
“I got a finger bent back,” Stafford told reporters on Jan. 9. “It wasn’t pleasant. Wasn’t great. We’ll see what it is. Was obviously able to finish the game and throw it decent. Once the ball is snapped, the adrenaline’s pretty good. So we’ll, hopefully, just keep it going.”
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