Rams swarm Kyle Monangai to prevent 4th down conversion

In the playoffs, games are often won in the trenches, and the Los Angeles Rams just proved why their “bend-but-don’t-break” philosophy is a nightmare for opponents.

During Sunday’s snowy NFC Divisional Round clash at Soldier Field, the Rams’ defense delivered a satement stop that shifted the momentum against the Chicago Bears. Facing a critical fourth-and-short, Chicago offensive coordinator Ben Johnson opted to keep his offense on the field, leaning on rookie running back Kyle Monangai to move the chains.

It didn’t go as planned.

Rams linebacker Nate Landman and safety Kamren Curl swarmed the gap, met Monangai at the line of scrimmage, and stonewalled him for no gain. The massive hit forced a turnover on downs, silencing the Chicago faithful and giving Matthew Stafford and the Rams’ offense the ball back at their own 32-yard line.

Rams stuff the Bears on 4th down!

LARvsCHI on NBC
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— NFL (@NFL) January 19, 2026

“Chris Shula’s unit has been stout all night,” the broadcast noted, and the stats back it up. Landman has been a vacuum in the middle of the field, recording four solo tackles, while Curl has been a Swiss Army knife for the secondary with 10 total tackles.

The stop was a microcosm of a physical, defensive battle in the Windy City. Both teams traded blows early; the Rams opened the scoring with a 4-yard touchdown run by Kyren Williams, capping off a methodical 14-play, 85-yard drive. Chicago answered back when Caleb Williams connected with D.J. Moore for a 3-yard score on their own fourth-down gamble.

Despite the frigid 20-degree temperatures and a snowy turf, the Rams’ defense remained disciplined. They’ve already forced two turnovers on downs and a key interception by Cobie Durant on the Bears’ opening possession.

While Monangai has been a revelation for Chicago this season, posting 783 rushing yards as a rookie, he found out the hard way that playoff windows close fast when Landman and Curl are crashing the box.

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