Rams and Playoff chase

[XXXIVwin]

After today's games, Rams moved up to 8th place in the NFC playoff picture.

Easiest path to playoffs remains winning the NFC West. Rams at 5-5 are one game back of the 6-4 Cards, and they have a re-match in game 16.

Right now in the 7th Wild Card spot are the Commodes at 7-4. Commodes have a 5-2 NFC Conference record, while the Rams are 2 games behind in that category at 3-4. A victory over PHI next week would help both in conference record and in the "common opponents" tiebreaker with WAS.

MIN and GB are gonna be tough to catch (Min at 8-2, while GB is 7-3 and owns the H to H tiebreaker against us). So for now, WAs looks like best bet for the WC route. But overall, NFC West remains most likely path to playoffs.

 

[fanotodd]

Yeah, after back to back losses to the bears and packers, that scenario (winning the West) became the best path to the playoffs.
THAT is completely in the Rams’ control.
Win out the remaining division games, finishing 5-1 in the West, and there’s a good chance the Rams will win the division.

The problem? Eagles (another conference foe) and the bills. The Rams need to get a split at least, beating the eagles preferably.

 

[OntarioRam]

This will be a fun playoff push! I think we can do it. Time will tell.

Chicago, yet again, cannot get it done. It would have really helped if they beat Green Bay. Injuries or not, the Rams losing to that Eberflus coached Bears team, is what I have circled as the L that might really come back to bite us. That game was there for the taking. So was the Packers game but they are a much more legitimate operation. The Bears actually have a very good roster too, but that coaching staff is straight up incompetent, losing to them was a huge kick in the groin.

 

[methomas50]

Well the division is certainly up for grabs. They need to just worry about what is directly in front of them and conquer.

 

[RamsOfCastamere]

We need some help from Minnesota and our division to catch the Cardinals. There remaining schedule looks a lot easier in comparison to ours. Outside of our division, we have the Eagles and the Bills, and I don't think we can afford to lose to both.

 

[Kupped]

We need some help from Minnesota and our division to catch the Cardinals. There remaining schedule looks a lot easier in comparison to ours. Outside of our division, we have the Eagles and the Bills, and I don't think we can afford to lose to both.

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On paper... Rams schedule is so much harder.
X factor? Kyler always gets dinged up or hurt.. and his play falls off, or he misses games.

 

[Corbin]

Hmmmm still don’t see our chances winning the division because of Arizonas weak ass schedule, however we might be able to sneak into the 7th seed which sucks for playing the top seed the first weekend but hey we in the dance!

 

[snackdaddy]

Its gonna be an uphill climb. The wild card path looks harder than last year's path. Its doable. Even with losses to Philly and Buffalo. But if they do lose both games there is no room for error. Sure would be nice to win one of those.

 

[Ramfan72]

It really comes down to this - if the Rams are a playoff team, they'll be competitive during the rest of the season, beat the teams they should, and maybe lose two or fewer of their remaining games. If they're just a middle-of-the road team, we go .500 the rest of the way and miss the playoffs. I think we have the talent on the offensive side but I don't think our linebackers and secondary are good enough to beat a great team. We couldn't stop Drake Maye from competing almost every throw less than 15 yards - we made him look like Tom Brady. There's no way this team stops a Mahomes or Allen or anyone else who decides to pick us apart with the short passing game. I get not wanting to get beat over the top but watching teams easily march up and down the field with the short passing game brought back memories of Raheem's defenses.

 

[Jorgeh0605]

Beat the eagles and it gets real fun.

 

[Memento]

We need the Cardinals to start losing, if they ever will. If not, we're not making the playoffs with the NFC North as tough as they've played.

 

[Corbin]

View: https://www.instagram.com/p/DCfmpsktcJ4/?igsh=MWFoejdibzdkZnQ4eQ==

 

[dieterbrock]

Have to win the division so assuming the Rams win the next game vs the Cards, they're basically tied.
Game at a time

 

[Merlin]

I feel like we need two wins from the next three. Because those last four games contain all our divisional opponents so being above .500 feels important.

Also of the next three Buffalo feels like a likely loss. So that makes the next two more crucial. Get to 7 wins before Buffalo and we will have reason to think this team is capable of getting in.

This is gonna end up being like last season, where the Rams are playing damn near elimination games through Dec. So here's hoping they show up big vs Philly.

 

[LARAMSinFeb.]

We seemed pretty hopeless this time last year also. Taking care of business got us in.

 

[Tumak61]

Honestly our best path is if the other 3 teams implode. 7 remaining games and some tough ones on paper. Good news is we are home against the bills and eagles. Two east coast teams. I think we need to win both games. If we can somehow draw even with the cards then we can decide it in week 17. At least we have a chance.

 

[PARAM]

Like Dieter said, one game at a time. The Rams have to win and see where they stand when the proverbial dust settles.

Rams: vs Philly, vs New Orleans, vs Buffalo, @San Fran, @NY Jets, vs Arizona, vs Seattle

Gonna be a tough ask but if they can get the offense going I like their chances.

Arizona: @Seattle, @Minnesota, vs. Seattle, vs New England, @Carolina, @rams, vs San Fran
San Fran: @Green Bay, @BUFFALO, vs Chicago, vs RAMS, @Miami, vs Detroit, @Arizona
Seattle: vs Arizona, @NY Jets, @ Arizona, vs Green Bay, vs Minnesota, @Chicago, @rams

Win the division and get into the tourney. But.......

#7 Washington: vs Dallas, vs Tennessee, @New Orleans, vs Philadelphia, vs Atlanta, @Dallas
#6 Green Bay: vs San Fran, vs Miami, @Detroit, @Seattle, vs New Orleans, @Minnesota, vs Chicago
#5 Minnesota: @Chicago, vs Arizona, vs Atlanta, vs Chicago, @ Seattle, vs Green Bay, @Detroit (the Lions will be resting people)

I would put my money on Minnesota making it into the tourney. The other 2? Not so sure.

 

[Rams8821]

We need the Cardinals to start losing, if they ever will. If not, we're not making the playoffs with the NFC North as tough as they've played.

They are 6-4 and one game better than us, with a trip to SoFi still the the cards.

They aint world beaters....

 

[Memento]

They are 6-4 and one game better than us, with a trip to SoFi still the the cards.

They aint world beaters....

And at the moment, they hold the tiebreaker over us.

I wouldn't underestimate that team, given our secondary and their passing offense.

 

[DzRams]

I get not wanting to get beat over the top but watching teams easily march up and down the field with the short passing game brought back memories of Raheem's defenses.

But Raheem's defenses were good. Death by a thousand cuts is much better than instant death by a bullet.

Explosive plays are what win. If you're an offense, you must have them; if you're a defense, you must limit them. It takes great discipline for an offense to continually march up and down the field with the short passing game and still be a high scoring offense because there is no margin for error. You can't have penalties, you can't have off-target throws, you can't have drops. All of those things stall drives if you have no explosive ability.