Divisional Round Preview - Soldier Field. January. Reality.

Cicero has already consulted the forest, the river, and a suspiciously greasy paper bag from Gene & Jude’s. The answer is known. But for the sake of ritual, analysis must still be performed. But before we get to the Bears versus the Rams, we must first discuss…

THE SERMON OF BEN JOHNSON

(Also Known as “F— the Packers”)

Every great movement has a moment where subtlety dies. Ben Johnson’s locker room rant was not coaching. It was alignment. When he dropped the sacred words, it wasn’t profanity. It was doctrine. It was the removal of all ambiguity. It was the kind of sentence that snaps a locker room into a single organism.

No slogans. No clichés. No laminated “Be You” culture cards. Just truth.

That rant did not energize the team, it clarified the mission. It reminded everyone in that room why pain is tolerated, why cold is endured, why linemen bleed silently so others may celebrate loudly. The Bears are not chasing respect. They are collecting receipts.

THE HANDSHAKE

Violence, But Make It Polite

And prior to the sermon came the post-game handshake with Matt LaFleur. Brief. Tense. Perfect. No smiling. No mutual admiration society nonsense. No “great battle” energy.

Just two men who know exactly what happened. LaFleur didn’t get disrespected. He got processed.

That handshake was the football equivalent of locking eyes with someone after beating them at chess and saying nothing because nothing needs to be said. It was restraint as dominance. Closure without forgiveness.

Cicero noticed this detail immediately. Because the forest teaches: True power does not linger. It moves on.

WHY THIS MATTERS FOR THE RAMS GAME

Moments like these harden teams. They create internal gravity. They turn close games into inevitabilities. They make cold feel optional. The Bears are no longer hoping things go their way. They expect them to.

The Rams are walking into a stadium that just watched its team spiritually bury its oldest enemy, and then calmly wipe its hands. That energy does not dissipate in a week. It compounds.

Cicero nods. The river flows. The message is clear. The Bears are done explaining themselves

THE SETTING: SOLDIER FIELD IS NOT A DOME

This game is not being played in Los Angeles. It is not being played on perfect turf. It is not being played at 72 degrees with artisanal oat milk lattes nearby.

It is being played outside, by the lake, in Chicago, where weather is not a condition, it is a participant. Cold. Wind. Grass that actively resents finesse.

This already matters.

The Los Angeles Rams

Pros (Yes, They Have Some)

• Veteran quarterback play
  Matthew Stafford has seen everything. He is unafraid of pressure, capable of big throws, and entirely willing to test tight windows.

• Explosive skill players
  The Rams can score quickly. They can turn one mistake into seven points before you’ve finished yelling at the TV.

• Playoff experience
  This team has been here before. They are comfortable in chaos.

Cons (These Matter More)

• Built for precision, not punishment
  The Rams thrive on timing, rhythm, and spacing. Cold disrupts timing. Wind mocks precision.

• Offensive line inconsistency
  Pressure up the middle ruins their best ideas. Soldier Field has a way of amplifying this problem. Now would be a good time for our D line to show up.

• West Coast team in Midwest winter
  No amount of bravado changes physiology. Hands sting. Feet go numb. The ball feels heavier. Sideline heaters for the opposing team malfunction.

The Rams do not fear the Bears. They fear the environment they cannot control.

The Chicago Bears

Pros (Lean In)

• A high-powered offense that can adapt
  This is not the Bears of old. They can score. They can respond. They are no longer trapped in 17–14 purgatory.

• Offensive line trending upward
  When the Bears commit to the run and protect the pocket, the offense becomes inevitable instead of hopeful.

• Home-field advantage that actually means something
  Soldier Field is not just loud. It is hostile. It demands compliance.

• Nothing to lose, everything to claim
  This team plays loose, aggressive, and unapologetic. Dangerous combination.

Cons (We Acknowledge, Then Release)

• Defensive volatility
  The Bears defense can bend, break, and occasionally set itself on fire.

• Youth in key moments
  Inexperience can be cruel, or fearless. Sometimes both.

The Matchup That Decides the Game

If the Bears control the line of scrimmage, the Rams fade.

If the Bears run the ball with intent, the Rams are forced into long, cold afternoons.

If the Bears turn this into a physical contest, the advantage shifts decisively north.

This is not about trick plays or highlight throws. This is about making Los Angeles play a game it does not enjoy.

Cicero’s Knowing Smile

Cicero has already walked the frozen paths along the Des Plaines River. He has already listened to the wind whip through the trees. He has already seen the outcome reflected in the river’s surface like prophecy.

The Rams will make plays. The Rams will score points. But the Bears will outlast them.

Final Zen Manifestation

The game stays close early. Chicago pulls away late. The cold deepens. The crowd grows louder. The run game becomes relentless.

Bears 44. Rams 23.
At home. In the cold. The way the forest prefers. Bear Down.