How will fierce Chicago cold test bravery of Bears and Rams as they charge onto frozen gridiron?

The Chicago Bears vs. Los Angeles Rams NFC Divisional Round Playoff game is scheduled for January 18 at Soldier Field in Chicago, Illinois. Temperatures as low as -10 degrees Fahrenheit are expected. Players can expect a slow game, hard hits, difficult communication, an unmanageable ball, and an increased risk of injury.Chicago Sun-Times’ Mohammad Samra, Patrick Finley, and Marie Mendoza spoke with Dr. Robert Paras, a sports medicine specialist at RUSH Orthopedics and Sports Medicine, about the bone-chilling effects of cold weather on NFL players.Dr. Paras said the players’ tendons and muscles can become stiffer, increasing the risk of muscle pulls, tears, or joint injuries. They might not run as fast. Their reaction time might slow down. Their hands and feet can get cold more quickly, reducing their ability to catch a ball.“When they’re outside, within 10 minutes, the body starts to sense that change in temperature,” Paras said. “So, the body wants to maintain its core temperature. To do that, the body often constricts the blood vessels that go into our extremities.” “Adjustments like warming up earlier, staying hydrated, and moving constantly can help prevent their bodies from cooling down,” Dr. Paras said.The coldest Bears game was on Dec. 14 against the Cleveland Browns, with a temperature of just 8 degrees.Bears safety Kevin Byard told the Chicago Sun-Times, “You talk about the Cleveland game [and] all these other cold games we been in, it’s going to be nothing for us to go out there and operate in the cold weather. Now, is that going to make a huge difference for the Rams? Who knows?”Dr. Paras explains, “As [Rams players] get colder, the feel of their hands, their grip strength decreases. Whereas the Bears are more acclimated to those changes. If a skilled player from the Rams has trouble holding onto that ball, it should hopefully lead to more takeaways for the Bears.”The Chicago Sun-Times reported that since 1964, the LA Rams are 1 for 6 in games as cold as the forecast for the upcoming Bears vs. Rams game. Their most recent was in 2022 against the Green Bay Packers, when they lost 24-12. They have not won in this type of cold since December 1989.According to Swift Sports Network, Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford is 1-9 in cold, rainy, or snowy conditions since moving to Southern California. His completion percentage drops to 55% when the temperature is below 20 degrees. Stafford has a sprained index finger on his throwing hand. The injury and cold could affect his grip, timing, and throwing.Stafford however is hopeful. At a recent press conference, the veteran signal caller said, “Both teams are playing in it. You just go out and execute the best you can. I love NFL football and the history of it: Lambeau Field, the Ice Bowl, all those kinds of things. There’s something to it, right? It feels right when football is outdoors, you’re playing it late in the year, it’s cold [and] it means a lot. I’m embracing that, and I know our team is as well.”Also Read: Caleb Williams misses every target in accuracy drill–fan declares, “He’s trash”