Fans pray Rams can buck Bears home field advantage in Divisional Round

The 12-5 Los Angeles Rams are the last road team to play in the Divisional Round of the NFL Playoffs. But so far, the home team has had a winning streak that seems difficult to thwart. The Denver Broncos hosted the Buffalo Bills and defeated them in overtime by a score of 33-30. The Seattle Seahawks hosted the San Francisco 49ers and obliterated them by the score of 41-6.

The New England Patriots are hosting the Houston Texans, and lead by 21-10 with the game just entering the third quarter.

Although the oddsmakers favor Los Angeles, the spread has closed from an opening -4.5 to -3.5 at kickoff. And there is no shortage of NFL analysts willing to endorse the Chicago Bears in this one. And so, it's expected to be another close one, just as the Carolina Panthers game turned out to be.

It doesn't always turn out that way. Sometimes, a road team carries plenty of momentum into the second round and upsets the home team. This year, home-field advantage truly is the advantage. Fans are left wondering if Los Angeles can buck the trend. Perhaps hope is the better word.

LA Rams have a plan to win on the road in Chicago

Whether or not fans agree with the details, it's clear that Los Angeles has a plan. While there have been bumps along the way, it's tough to argue with a team competing in Round 2 of the NFL playoffs with a relatively healthy roster. Even when only minor roster moves are necessary, general manager Les Snead has a way of finding the right player to fit a specific need.

While it makes more sense to acclimate players to winter's worst, Rams head coach Sean McVay's messaging has remained steady throughout the playoffs. He has persisted in showing little concern for the weather, deferring the matter to multiple team staff whose job requires paying attention to the weather, and supplying proper equipment to handle the cold.

It's not as though the team is oblivious to the challenges of cold weather. It's just that the organization trusts members of the team to do their job effectively, including supporting the team with the proper gear.

The Los Angeles Rams played in a blizzard just last year, so snow and cold could actually benefit them more. It was clear that the loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in a snowstorm redefined the team's offseason efforts. That focus led to the team's signing of run-stuffing nose tackle Poona Ford and inside linebacker Nate Landman.

The plan to win a winter weather game in Chicago started immediately after that loss in Philadelphia. Ready or not, here they come!

As always, thanks for reading.