CHICAGO — It was the type of play that can fold a team. So seemingly close to getting the game-winning fourth-down stop, only for Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams to throw a 14-yard pass 55 yards through the air for a game-tying touchdown.
But when the Rams defense returned to the sideline, overtime ahead of them in their divisional-round game, the group gathered, no hint of despair among them.
“On to the next play,” cornerback Cobie Durant said. “They’re NFL players just like we are. It’s on to the next play. Biggest thing you can do with this team that we have is get turnovers, put the ball back in Matthew Stafford’s hand and let him do what he do.”
“We huddled up after that touchdown in regulation and said, ‘We need to reset,’” safety Kam Curl said. “And we made the plays to win the game.”
Indeed, it was the secondary – a group beleaguered by criticism after a rocky end to the season and by injuries before the game corner Ahkello Witherspoon on Sunday to corner Emmanuel Forbes – that made the critical plays to put the Rams in position for their 20-17 overtime victory Sunday.
In regulation, Durant had two interceptions and three passes defended. The first takeaway came on a shot to the goal line by Williams, and the second a fading grab at midfield during the third quarter, giving the Rams their best field position of the day.
“That’s the type of player he is, making big plays in prime time,” Curl said.
The Rams weren’t able to capitalize on either of Durant’s interceptions, going three-and-out after the second to put the defense back on the field. But the group responded as it had all day, allowing one first down before forcing a punt.
“That was not good complementary football,” head coach Sean McVay said of the three-and-out. “I can’t say enough about the defense.”
It was Curl’s turn in overtime, after another three-and-out by the Rams turned the game into a sudden-death affair. The Bears were moving the ball, too, just outside of field goal range when Williams took a shot downfield.
But Curl dove in front of the ball intended for D.J. Moore, sliding to the grass at the Rams’ 22. That put the ball back in Stafford’s hands, and he did the rest to set up Harrison Mevis’ game-winning field goal.
After several shaky performances, it was a night of redemption for the Rams’ secondary with six passes defended either with batted balls or – in Curl’s case – a shoulder to a receiver’s back to dislodge the pass.
“I feel like every secondary has their ups and downs in this league. I feel like they magnified our downs,” Curl said. “I feel like today we showed them that we make plays.”