LOS ANGELES — The Rams entered Week 17 preaching that they could only control their own responsibilities in the race for the NFC West crown. That became a little more true Thursday night.
Following the Seattle Seahawks’ win over the Chicago Bears on Thursday night, the Rams can’t clinch the division title by beating the Arizona Cardinals on Saturday. They could use a little help doing it too.
If the Rams (9-6) and Seahawks (9-7) finish tied in the standings at 10-7 after their Week 18 matchup, the tiebreakers would come down to strength of record. The Rams could win the NFC West based on their strong record, provided they beat the Cardinals (7-8) and get four wins or three wins and a tie among these six teams: Buffalo, Minnesota, Cincinnati, Washington, Cleveland and San Francisco.
Cincinnati is playing for its slim playoff chances against Denver this weekend. Buffalo faces the downtrodden New York Jets. Washington hosts the Atlanta Falcons. Minnesota has a tough division matchup with the Green Bay Packers. Cleveland starts its third-string quarterback against the Miami Dolphins. And the 49ers host the NFC-leading Detroit Lions.
What will happen in these six games is anyone’s guess. But none of that matters this week if the Rams don’t do their job this week against the Cardinals.
No one at the team’s Woodland Hills facility has forgotten what happened the last time these teams met. Arizona stunned the Rams, scoring three touchdowns before the Rams gained a first down. The Cardinals outplayed the Rams in physicality and execution in a way that even all the injuries the Rams suffered couldn’t explain.
“It was a test of who we really were. … You play that game, and you were almost shocked at how poorly you played and to put up that type of performance, it was embarrassing to be honest,” Rams defensive coordinator Chris Shula said. “It’s by recovering from these adverse situations that you discover who you really are.”
The Rams have grown in every way since that Sunday. Defensive rookies Jared Verse, Braden Fiske, Kamren Kinchens and Omar Speights have hit their stride. Veterans like Bobby Brown IV and Ahkello Witherspoon have found ways to contribute. The offensive line became healthy again and suddenly the running game was able to get back to normal. Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp recovered and the ball was also able to travel through the air.
“It takes time to gel. It takes time to understand what kind of team you are going to form. This group has done a really good job of fighting through all of this,” Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford said. “We had a lot of injuries early in the season, kept our heads above water, fought like crazy, got healthy a little late and became the football team we could be .”
So here’s the Rams, their first NFC West title since 2021 a real possibility. Hell, with a little help they could clinch this weekend and rest their starters in Week 18 for the second year in a row.
But only if they take care of the task at hand.
“Luckily, we’re in a position where you don’t necessarily have to rely on other things if you just take care of your business,” Rams head coach Sean McVay said. “That’s where my focus and concentration lies. This is where our coaches and players have been meeting throughout the week, ahead of the match that we organize every week and it will be the same this week.
ARIZONA (7-8) at RAMS (9-6)
When: Saturday, 5 p.m.
Or: SoFi Stadium
Television/radio: NFL Network, CBS (Ch. 2)/7:10 a.m.; 93.1FM; 1:30 p.m. (Spanish); Sirius 226, 225
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