Former Georgia quarterback Matthew Stafford is not bracing for the elements in Chicago, so much as he’s embracing them.

Stafford and the Los Angeles Rams (12-5) will be traveling from their balmy West Coast homes to what’s expected to be frigid conditions in Chicago for an NFL playoff showdown with the Bears.

Current forecasts suggest temperatures could be in range of single digits at Soldier Field, which Stafford equated to historic playoff games of yesteryear played at Green Bay’s Lambeau Field , some 200 miles north of Chicago.

“There’s something to it; it feels right when football is outdoors and you’re playing late in the year,” said Stafford, who has played the vast majority of his 17-year NFL career indoors, with Detroit and Los Angeles both utilizing domed stadiums.

“It’s cold, it means a lot — I’m embracing it, and I know our team is as well.”

Stafford had his struggles in last Saturday’s 34-31 win over Carolina in windy conditions before engineering a game-winning drive with pinpoint accuracy on his passes.

“You just have to figure out what the elements are, how it’s going to affect the ball, and go play,” Stafford said. “We had wind last week …. you just figure it out as you go.”

Stafford said the Rams will have to take care of the football against what has been an opportunistic and resilient Chicago football team (12-5).

The Bears led the NFL with a plus 1.1 turnover margin this season, with Stafford’s Los Angeles franchise not too far behind, tied for third at plus 0.7 per game.

Former Georgia tailback D’Andre Swift, making his first appearance in the NFL playoffs in his six years in the league, knows all about Stafford.

“I call him the ‘Goat,’ he’s one of the greats,” said Swift, who started his NFL career in Detroit after being selected 35th overall in the 2020 NFL Draft .

“That’s my guy. When I got into the league, he was the first person to reach out to me, (and) going to Detroit, he was the first guy I worked out with. I have a ton of respect for him. He’s a true warrior, he’s one of the Greats.”

Swift’s direct competition in Sunday night’s game, however, is across the Rams’ defensive front.

“They’ve been phenomenal all year, that’s the strength of their defense, in my opinion,” Swift said. “Their guys up, they get after it, they’re relentless. We have our work cut out for us.”

Los Angeles, which also features former Georgia offensive line team captain Warren McClendon at offensive tackle, is a 3.5-point favorite to beat Chicago.

Houston at New England is the other Sunday NFL Playoff game (3 p.m., ESPN/ABC).

Former Georgia cornerback Kamari Lassiter is one of the rising stars on the Houston defense, while veteran tailback Nick Chubb remains an option in the Texans’ backfield.

Rookie Jared Wilson, a former UGA team captain, starts at offensive guard for the Patriots.