On paper, the task facing the Bears seems a bit overwhelming. Their hobbled defensive secondary will be facing the NFL leaders in passing yards and receptions when the Los Angeles Rams visit Soldier Field this Sunday.

But the Bears haven’t reached this round of the playoffs in 15 years, so anything is possible.

The Rams did need a touchdown with 38 seconds left to get past Carolina last week. Quarterback Matthew Stafford turns 38 in less than a month and there’s only one Puka Nacua, so maybe it can be done.

The first task for Bears Film Study was figuring out why the defense was so much more successful in the second half of Saturday’s comeback win over Green Bay. The clear answer was pressure.

The opening drive of the third quarter explained it. On first down, the Bears sent Nahshon Wright on a corner blitz and he forced Packers quarterback Jordan Love out of the pocket, which allowed Montez Sweat to break free from his man and give chase. The result, incomplete pass under duress.

On second down, linebacker D’Marco Jackson rushed in on a run blitz and dropped Josh Jacobs for a loss of 2. Then on third and long, the Bears showed blitz and backed off. Love looked right, pumped, hesitated, missed a good look at rookie Matthew Golden and had his pass batted down at the line of scrimmage.

And that’s sort of how the second half went. Love was less comfortable, had less time to scan the field. He came back to make some nice throws, but the pressure made a big difference.

The Bears forced an intentional grounding penalty by pulling off a nice stunt. Austin Booker curled from right to left, Sweat pushed his man to the center of the field, and when the tackle jumped out to take Booker, Sweat was free to get in Love’s face.

So maybe that’s the answer. The Bears should dial up pressure earlier in the game, with a goal of keeping Stafford off balance, and using second defenders to make things slightly more difficult on Nacua.

Depth continues to be an issue. Booker played 97% of the snaps against Green Bay, an absurd number for defensive line. Gervon Dexter was at 85%, Grady Jarrett 83% and Sweat 80%.

Most obvious suggestion: Use Dominique Robinson more, he’s been playing well. Nose guard Andrew Billings was shaken up a couple times Saturday and logged just 12 defensive snaps, so take good care of him this week.

As tired as the defensive linemen must have been, on the two snaps before the game-ender, Love was hit by Dexter, then Sweat. That’s a strong second wind.

The Rams have a good pass rush. Edges Byron Young and Jared Verse combined for 76 pressures this season, and had 8 against the Panthers. For comparison, Bears leaders Sweat and Dexter had a combined 49 pressures.

Carolina was credited with 8 pressures against Stafford last week, and one sack, by former Bears draft pick Trevis Gipson.

Unsung hero

There was an obvious one in this game — linebacker Jalen Reeves-Maybin. He had a tackle for no gain, hit Love on that pass to the tackle eligible, played well on kickoffs and kickoff returns, and blocked two Packers on Devin Duvernay’s long punt return.

A former Lions Pro Bowl selection, Reeves-Maybin was elevated to the active roster Tuesday and figures to be the Bears third linebacker, used in non-nickel packages, now that T.J. Edwards is out. This defense needs some fresh legs.

Learning curve

It probably goes without saying this was Caleb Williams best game as a pro, and he made some of the most impressive throws in franchise history. But his improvement could also be seen in basic plays.

On the first drive of the game, he came off his first look to hit Luther Burden for a third-down conversion. On the first play after Green Bay scored to go up 27-16, Williams slid to his left and threw a sidearm strike to Rome Odunze for 17 yards to take back some offensive momentum. When basic plays start to stack up, it sets the stage for the clutch throws that make Williams special.

Underrated play

This one summed up the attention to detail that has defined the Bears’ success. Two plays before Green Bay’s missed field goal in the fourth quarter, linebacker Tremaine Edmunds was beaten to the end zone by tight end Luke Musgrave. Back turned, behind the receiver, many defenders will take a pass interference penalty to prevent a touchdown in that situation. But Edmunds knew the game scenario, and managed to do some solid face-guarding without making contact. A penalty or TD there likely changes the outcome.

Quick-hitters

Note to Dexter and anyone else trying to recover a fumble: Falling on it creates bounce. The best method is to hit the ground next to the ball while securing it with your arms. …

The legend of Nick Niemann is true. The Packers linebacker, a Sycamore native, played his first and only defensive snap of the season on the Bears’ 2-point conversion, and got beat in pass coverage by Colston Loveland. Credit the Bears for their theatrical call for the “heavy” lineup on the sideline, only to spread all three tight ends wide, forcing the mismatch. Also, credit Niemann for playing his NFL fifth season, mostly on special teams duty.

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