Rooting interest for week 17 and 18

[FrantikRam]

Seattle winning last week and today is giving me a touch of anxiety, so partially creating this thread to make myself feel better. Had they lost either game - and both games they trailed with less than 2 minutes to go - we would be able to clinch solely with a win next week against the Giants.

For the purposes of this thread I will assume we beat the Giants and fall to the Niners. Obviously if we win our were the 6 seed.

Seattle vs Pittsburgh (week 17)
Seattle at Arizona (week 18)

Pretty simple - if Seattle loses one of these, we clinch. Both are loseable games, but games Seattle will be favored to win. If we beat the Giants at 1pm eastern next week, my eyes will be on the Seahawks/Steelers at 4 for the entire game.

Packers at Vikings (week 17)

A tie would prevent either team from getting to 9 wins, and as such we would clinch even if Seattle beats Pittsburgh. There has not been a tie in the NFL yet so we're due (talking to you football Gods). Assuming a tie is off the table, the question becomes: who would we rather win? Because the loser of this game is eliminated which means we would need the winner of this game to lose in week 18 in case Seattle wins out.

Packers vs Bears (week 18)
Vikings at Lions (week 18)

On the surface this may seem like an easy choice.....however....the Lions are locked into the 2 or 3 seed, and the Eagles play the Giants in week 18 and will likely need to win that game to either win the division or lock in the 2 seed. We have seen teams make odd decisions in the past when having clinched the division - but it's possible that if they lose to Dallas next week, they'd be locked into the 3 seed no matter what. Or it may be likely enough that Campbell decides to rest. Meanwhile the Bears are playing inspired football and want to win every week since they dont have their first rounder. As bizarre as it may seem, I think I like the Bears to beat the Packers more than the Lions to beat the Vikings because the Lions may be testing. Root for the Lions to beat Dallas because that will likely keep them driving toward the 2 seed. I just don't see them winning in Dallas. That game is before GB/Min though, so:

If Detroits beats Dallas - root for Minnesota to beat GB. If Detroits loses, root for GB. And root against Seattle.

 

[Ellard80]

yeah going to be a Steelers fan for sure.....

 

[TexasRam]

Yea its getting a bit like where is Waldo. Waldo being that team we need to win.

But I am simplifying it to this. Root for the Niners vs the Ravens. Then they rest starters vs us and we win out.

Also, we can beat the Niners if we play our game. We shut the run down, their Oline is suspect and our offense is humming, which a physical brand to match whatever they bring.

 

[Q729]

Dammit. Do we really need to root for 9ers?? I just...I..

 

[TexasRam]

Dammit. Do we really need to root for 9ers?? I just...I..

View: https://media2.giphy.com/media/7STvqibRywFAS8GFAC/200w.webp?cid=ecf05e47kk6hdjp3k29yn0hnh8nhb9i2ao117a8t6c9no7wg&ep=v1_gifs_search&rid=200w.webp&ct=g

 

[I like Rams]

I'm lost, I keep hearing we are the controllers of our own destiny, yet we need certain teams to lose to get in?

 

[RamWoodie]

The Rams are in great shape! Even though the Hags won, the Vikes lost and are on the outside looking in.

*Tannehill set up his departure from the Titans when he took that sack in the last minute*...he'll be someone's backup next year!!!!

 

[Da-Rock]

Yea its getting a bit like where is Waldo. Waldo being that team we need to win.

But I am simplifying it to this. Root for the Niners vs the Ravens. Then they rest starters vs us and we win out.

Also, we can beat the Niners if we play our game. We shut the run down, their Oline is suspect and our offense is humming, which a physical brand to match whatever they bring.

No way the 49ers rest players. Analysts are saying this too. They have the chance to knock us out of the playoffs......no way the rest players.

 

[Q729]

Am I the only one getting server errors when trying to post?

 

[TexasRam]

No way the 49ers rest players. Analysts are saying this too. They have the chance to knock us out of the playoffs......no way the rest players.

Shannahan lost Purdy last year - Killing their Super Bowl hopes.

Back to back NFC Championship losses. You think he's going to let a stupid rivalry stand in his way?

But if so fine, we will beat them and break Purdy's leg.

 

[Da-Rock]

Shannahan lost Purdy last year - Killing their Super Bowl hopes.

Back to back NFC Championship losses. You think he's going to let a stupid rivalry stand in his way?

But if so fine, we will beat them and break Purdy's leg.

He could rest starters and still lose Purdy their first game.

 

[TexasRam]

Am I the only one getting server errors when trying to post?

I am as well. Let's make CGI work on Christmas Eve!!!

 

[gabriel18]

I guess I’m a Steelers fan next week. We didn’t get hardly any help at all today. Dammit.
If it can go wrong , it will.

 

[Loyal]

Shannahan lost Purdy last year - Killing their Super Bowl hopes.

Back to back NFC Championship losses. You think he's going to let a stupid rivalry stand in his way?

But if so fine, we will beat them and break Purdy's leg.

Yeah, if they have nothing gain by beating us except that Shanny just wants to beat us, then I have zero sympathy if key members of their team get injured.

 

[gabriel18]

I guess I’m a Steelers fan next week. We didn’t get hardly any help at all today. Dammit.
If it can go wrong , it will.

 

[Ramhusker]

We just need to beat the Giants next week. I feel good about how Chicago is playing right now and that is where GB gets a loss I hope. Seattle is just slipping by defeat. The Steelers will beat them if they play like that again. And yes, it's probably better to pull for SF and make their decision harder for them because you know they don't want us in the playoffs.

 

[Merlin]

Rams (8-7) last two games: @ Giants, @ 40shitters.
Seattle (8-7) last two games: Steelers, @ Cardinals.
Green Bay's (7-8) last two games: @ Vikings, Bears.
Minnesota (7-8) last two games: Packers, @ Lions.
Atlanta (7-8) last two games: @ Bears, @ Saints.
New Orleans (7-8) last two games: @ Bucs, Falcons.

None of the 6 win teams can beat us out if we beat the Giants. If we don't beat the Giants we are done as far as I'm concerned. So I am operating with a "we're gonna fucking win that game" mentality and the above is what matters irt our chances of getting in.

Either Minnesota OR Green Bay are going to eliminate themselves vs us on New Year's Eve. The winner will go down to the wire with us.

I think Atlanta loses in New Orleans. Also the Bears are playing better ball and might spoil their season outright next weekend.

New Orleans is facing a tough game vs the Bucs, and a likely loss I think. If they do win, then they look good to beat Atlanta at home to wrap it.

So here, according to my napkin math, is the ideal next week scenario, not to include crazy shit like ties. Call it my rooting list:

1. Seattle loses at home to the Steelers and are knocked out vs us.
2. Green Bay loses to Minnesota and are knocked out vs us. This is ideal because Minnesota has a tougher final game.
3. Atlanta loses to the Bears and are knocked out vs us.
4. New Orleans loses to the Bucs and are knocked out vs us.

If the above happens then we are in, at least to my napkin math, because there are two spots at play and we have one of them regardless of what happens with Minnesota the final week. Also we're in no matter which of Green Bay or Minnesota win. It is just seeding at that point.

From there if any of the other 7-8 teams win their games then obviously it goes to the final week. If Seattle or New Orleans win then we can probably kiss that six seed goodbye we are most likely playing for seven. If Atlanta wins there's still a good chance they lose in New Orleans.

So chances are this isn't gonna wrap up for us next weekend. Sadly. Too many moving parts that have to go in our direction. But we could also beat the Shitters the final game regardless of what else is going on and the Rams are going to have that mentality.

 

[rdlkgliders]

I am as well. Let's make CGI work on Christmas Eve!!!

Regarding Server issues

Been getting them since 8pm pst after the Saints game. I usually send him a message but didn’t want to bug over the holiday

 

[oldnotdead]

The math is easy. Win out and no need to watch the scoreboard.

That said assuming the Rams beat DC it would be simple insurance for the Rams if the Packers would lose one more game. They have the tie breaker. If the Packers lose just once more and the Rams win in DC that would pretty much lock it up regardless of what happens in Santa Clara. Even if the Packers win out if the Lions beat the Vikings again and the Rams still get in even if they lose to the Niners.

But McVay won't want to back into the playoffs. I said it weeks ago I think the Rams could sweep all but the Ravens. I see nothing that changes that. The Rams lost to the Niners early by one TD when they were still learning how to play. This OL is much better now. I think not playing Durant retarded his development. But he will have two games as the starter under his belt by the time they play the Niners. Fuller has to know he's auditioning for his FA status next year so he should be inspired over these last 2 games.

 

[FrantikRam]

I'm lost, I keep hearing we are the controllers of our own destiny, yet we need certain teams to lose to get in?

We are, but we play at the Niners in week 18 - easily the most challenging game for any team.

The Seahawks play the Steelers and Cardinals - if you remove your fandom and bias, ask yourself this: who is more likely to finish 10-7, the Rams or the Seahawks?

Easily Seattle. We need them to finish with the same record as us for us to get in over them, and since the odds are against us in week 18, we will need them to lose one as well.

For the winner of the GB/Min game, either would get the tie breaker over us - so if we assume a loss to the Niners, we would need the winner of the GB/Min game to lose in week 18. The Vikings play at the Lions, but there's a decent chance they are locked into the 3 seed by week 18, in which case they would probably rest.

Basically....despite us having a high percent chance to make the payoffs, there's a chance that chalk leaves us out:

Seahawks will be favored in both their last two games.

We will be underdogs to the Niners.

Packers would be favored over Bears.

If the Lions rest, Vikings would be favored over Lions.

Lots of ifs to this but it almost feels likely that we miss the playoffs unless Seattle gets upset. Else we may be relying on Detroit to not rest and beat the Vikings in week 18 (or even worse, the Bears to go into Lambeau and win)