The Los Angeles Rams have advanced to the divisional round of the NFC playoffs, setting up a matchup with the Chicago Beard at Soldier Field this weekend.
As is usually the case this time of year in cold-weather cities, the Rams will have to be prepared for snow and freezing temperatures when they get to Chicago. Temperatures are expected to be in the teens around kickoff on Sunday at 3:30 p.m. PT.
That will be a challenge for Matthew Stafford and the Rams, although he has played in plenty of cold-weather games throughout the course of his career.
Stafford discussed how that affects him and the need for the Rams to figure it out as the game goes on, via Wyatt Miller of TheRams.com:
“You just got to go figure out what the elements are, how it’s going to affect the ball, go play… So you just kind of figure it out as you go. So each one is its own unique set of circumstances. I know that both teams are playing in it. You just go out there and execute the best you can.”
Stafford added that the Rams will embrace whatever conditions they play in, and he will wear a scuba suit under his uniform to stay warm:
Stafford has a scuba suit that he’s worn under his uniform during cold-weather games dating back to his days in Detroit. He plans to do so again on Sunday because it keeps him warmer, but “it’s not skin-tight,” he said. When asked if playing in that kind of outdoor, freezing environment is fun, Stafford said “I think so… That feels right when football’s outdoors, you’re playing it late in the year, it’s cold, it means a lot. So I’m embracing it, I know our team is as well.”
Stafford spent the first 12 years of his career in Detroit, which meant plenty of games in cities like Chicago and Green Bay. The Rams also played in the snow last year in the divisional round when they came up just short against the eventual Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles.
With all that being said, the conditions will be tough for Stafford and the Rams, but that will be the case for both teams and it shouldn’t be anything they can’t handle.
Ben Johnson praises Rams star Matthew Stafford
One person who knows what Stafford is capable of is Bears head coach Ben Johnson, sharing praise for the Rams star after spending some time with him in Detroit earlier in their careers.
