After selling out to win a Super Bowl in 2021, many assumed that the Rams would enter a rebuilding period. They’ve done anything but rebuild, making the playoffs in 2023 and placing themselves in the heat of the playoff hunt this season.
Simply making the playoffs isn’t the only accomplishment the Rams are looking to put on their resume this season; they’re currently atop the NFC West with two games to play.
Looking to Week 17, Los Angeles has a matchup with a divisional foe, the Arizona Cardinals. A victory in this game would go a long way in their quest to secure an NFC West title.
Let’s take a look at the Rams’ path to the playoffs ahead of their Week 17 matchup with the Cardinals.
WEEK 17 FANTASY FOOTBALL RANKINGS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/ST | Kickers
Rams playoff picture
After starting the season 1-4, the Rams’ playoff hopes looked bleak. There were even reports that the Rams were shopping around Cooper Kupp, a sign that they were going to give up on the season and look to the future.
The turnaround in the last two months has been quite miraculous. Matthew Stafford and company have rattled off eight wins in their past 10 games, highlighted by victories over the Vikings, Bills, and 49ers. These wins have left the Rams with a half-game lead over the Seahawks in the NFC West.
| Rank | Team | Record |
| 1 | Lions | 13-2 |
| 2 | Eagles | 12-3 |
| 3 | Rams | 9-6 |
| 4 | Falcons | 8-7 |
| 5 | Vikings | 13-2 |
| 6 | Packers | 11-4 |
| 7 | Commanders | 10-5 |
| 8 | Seahawks | 9-7 |
| 9 | Buccaneers | 8-7 |
The Rams can clinch the NFC West as early as this week. The cleanest path would have been a Los Angeles win and a Seattle loss, or a tie for the Rams and a loss for the Seahawks (at Chicago), but that did not happen. The Seahawks defeated the Bears on “Thursday Night Football” keeping their postseason hopes alive.
If Los Angeles defeats Arizona, there is a chance the team clinches the NFC West, but the Rams need help. Not only does Sean McVay’s team need a win, but it can also win the division if any of these four teams pick up victories in Week 17 — Bengals, Commanders, Bills, 49ers, Vikings, and Browns.
This is due to the potential strength of schedule tiebreaker between the Rams and Seahawks that would occur if the two finish with the same record. It would favor Los Angeles in this case, allowing the team to clinch the NFC West in Week 17.
The battle for the NFC West title has been a rollercoaster ride this season. If Los Angeles is able to take home the division, they’ll secure a top-four seed in the playoffs and home-field advantage for the Wild Card Round at a minimum.
MORE NFL WEEK 17:
Rams remaining 2024 schedule
The Rams’ schedule in the final weeks of the year could lead to some drama in Week 18.
They’ll face the Cardinals this week, a game they’re expected to win, but if Los Angeles falls short against Arizona, their Week 18 matchup with Seattle could be played for the divisional title.
A win over Arizona this week would be highly beneficial in easing the stress of Week 18.
| Date | Matchup | Opponent’s current record | Time (ET) |
| Dec. 28 | vs. Cardinals | 7-8 | 8:00 p.m. |
| TBD | vs. Seattle | 9-7 | TBD |
NFL DRAFT NEWS:
Rams’ updated playoff chances
Heading into Week 17, ESPN’s power index puts Los Angeles’s odds of making the playoffs at 811 percent. They will have to seriously bungle in the next two weeks to miss the postseason.
