Did Playoff Scheduling Give Rams a Competitive Advantage?

The Los Angeles Rams rested players in Week 18 in preparation for the playoffs. Did the playoff scheduling help the Rams even more?

Dec 28, 2024; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay reacts after a play in the first half against the Arizona Cardinals at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

The Los Angeles Rams rested numerous players in their Week 18 matchup against the Seattle Seahawks in prepartion for their upcoming Wild Card matchup against the Minnesota Vikings. While their opponent had yet to be decided heading into Week 18, the Rams knew heading into the game that they were for sure headed to the playoffs.

By resting players, the Rams avoided injuries to some of their most critical players but also got those players a much-needed week of rest. This essentially allowed Rams players such as quarterback Matthew Stafford to have a bye week before the playoffs.

Then, the playoff schedule was announced shortly after the Vikings lost to the Detroit Lions on Sunday night. The Rams and Vikings will face off this upcoming Monday, giving Stafford and the Rams an additional day off.

Rams head coach Sean McVay is undoubtedly in favor of the extra day of rest and preparation for his team.

"I think it's good," McVay said. "It allows us to have a good week of preparation and maybe some opportunities to do some things while keeping guys fresh that maybe you wouldn't have in previous experiences. Being as fresh and as healthy as possible going into this tournament is really important to us, especially for some of the guys that have accumulated a bunch of experience or a bunch of wear and tear on their bodies when you did have a week six bye. All of that is beneficial.

"That's the situation that we're in and we're certainly going to maximize it. I did think yesterday was an outstanding opportunity to see some guys compete in a real game against an excellent football team where you could see what they're about. There has been a lot of hard work that has been put in behind the scenes for some of those guys that I thought they should be proud of themselves. Even though we came up a little bit short, the way that they competed and the things that they can draw from that experience with a handful of different players in all three phases is encouraging. Here we go now into the playoffs.”

Ensure you follow on X (Twitter) @RamsInsideronSI and @MNSToday and never miss another breaking news story again.

Please let us know your thoughts when you like our Facebook page WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE