Matthew Stafford led the NFL in passing this season, but on Sunday night, it was all about cold, hard efficiency.

Stafford led his Los Angeles Rams to a 20-17 overtime victory over Chicago, overcoming a fierce Bears’ defense amid frigid winter conditions.

“Playoff football is about winning the football game,” said Stafford, a former Georgia quarterback who was sacked four times and finished 20-of-42 passing for 258 yards.

“Played great and threw for a bunch of yards last year in the snow and we lost, so that shit sucks. So I’m happy to have played a little bit worse today and going home with a win.”

To Stafford’s point, he had 324 yards and two touchdowns passing in snowy conditions in a 28-22 road loss to Philadelphia in last year’s playoffs, and he was determined not to allow that script to play out once again.

And yet, that’s what appeared to be happening when Caleb Williams made a miraculous fourth-down scramble and touchdown throw to Cole Kmet with 18 seconds left to tie the game and send it into overtime.

The Bears led the NFL with seven victories after trailing in the final two minutes this season and were threatening to get into field goal range in overtime when Williams missed his receiver and Rams’ safety Kam Curl made the interception.

A second chance was all Stafford needed after the Rams went three-and-out with three conservative run play calls on their first overtime possession.

This time, it appeared Stafford decided he was going to put it on his own shoulders, the cold and blustery conditions aside.

Los Angeles shifted into a no-huddle offense and came out firing into gusts over 20 mph amid a negative-2 degree wind chill.

Stafford completed his first three passes on the drive to get the Rams into field goal range, the third of which was a pinpoint pass to Davante Adams along the sideline to convert on a third-and-6.

“That may be the throw of the year for Matthew Stafford,” Veteran NFL analyst Chris Collinsworth said. “There was no space to put that ball, zero, no chance that ball got completed.”

But upon further review, officials determined Adams did drag his foot inside the sideline, and the Rams were in range for Harrison Mavis’ game-winning 42-yard field goal.

Los Angeles (14-5) advances to face Seattle (15-3) at 6:30 p.m. next Sunday in the NFC Championship Game.

The Seahawks are coached by Mike Macdonald, a Georgia native and UGA graduate who began his career in Athens at Cedar Shoals High School as the linebackers and running backs coach (2008-09).

Macdonald first college job was on Mark Richt’s Bulldogs’ staff as a graduate assistant in 2010 and then defensive quality control assistant from 2011-13 before he moved on to the NFL as an intern in Baltimore (2014) and then defensive assistant.

Denver (15-3) plays host to New England (16-3) at 3 p.m. next Sunday in the AFC Championship Game.