Does the Rams schedule setup for a wild card run?
You don’t have to tell me that you don’t know yet if the Los Angeles Rams will make the playoffs — I already assume you don’t know — but I’m asking fans today with 7 of 17 games in the books: What do you THINK will happen?
The Rams lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday and are now 3-4 with 10 games to go. Despite the losing record, L.A. has the same number of wins as three other teams in the NFC that would currently be competing for the seventh seed in the playoffs. If the Rams beat the Cowboys in Week 8, L.A. could be back in the driver’s seat for a wild card.
Here are the standings right now:
If a 9-8 record gets an NFC team into the playoffs, then the Rams would need to win at least six of their remaining 10 games.
For L.A., that would mean six of these 10:
at Dallas Cowboys (4-2)
at Green Bay Packers (2-4)
bye
Seattle Seahawks (4-2)
at Arizona Cardinals (1-6)
Cleveland Browns (4-2)
at Baltimore Ravens (5-2)
Washington Commanders (3-4)
New Orleans Saints (3-4)
at New York Giants (2-5)
at San Francisco 49ers (5-1)
If the Rams sweep the teams that currently have losing records, that alone would be five wins. To get a 9-8 record, that would mean going 5-0 against the Packers, Cardinals, Commanders, Saints, and Giants, with a win over one of the Cowboys, Seahawks, Browns, Ravens, and 49ers.
James Harrison beefed with Commissioner Roger Goodell
L.A. has already beaten Seattle once, so that could be one. The Browns have significant issues at quarterback, even when Deshaun Watson is starting. The Cowboys have lost to the Cardinals.
The Rams are 37% likely to make the playoffs, according to probabilities at playoffstatus.com.
What would really help is winning these next two games before the bye week and the once-respected Packers have actually been one of the worst teams in the league. Since a Week 1 win over the Chicago Bears, a team that won’t come near the playoffs, Green Bay is 1-4 with their only win being a 17-0 fourth quarter comeback against the Saints to win by a single point. They have lost to the Raiders and Broncos in their last two games, two of the worst teams (we think) in the NFL.
That puts the pressure on beating Dallas and the Cowboys have been the most inconsistent team in the league.
The Cowboys have wins over the Jets, Patriots, Chargers, and Giants. They lost 28-16 to the Cardinals and 42-10 to the 49ers. Dallas is coming off of their bye week and nobody knows “which Cowboys” will be playing when they return.
Beat the Cowboys and Packers, then the L.A. Rams will be favorites for a wild card spot going into the bye week and having two division games on deck. Lose those games and it could be a long final two months again.
