NFC West falls back to Rams during bye week

L.A. just a game behind division-leading Seattle Seahawks

The Los Angeles Rams did not play on Sunday because they are on a bye week, but they benefited from the fact that the rest of the NFC West went 0-3 in Week 8.

Quarterback Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills bombarded the Seattle Seahawks, 44-34. The Arizona Cardinals fell at home to the Miami Dolphins, 34-31. And the San Francisco 49ers were blitzed on Thursday night on the road at the hands of the Green Bay Packers, 34-17.

The results leave the Rams (5-3) just a game behind the division-leading Seahawks (6-2) and tied with the Cardinals (5-3) for second place. San Francisco, last year’s NFC representative in the Super Bowl, brings up the rear at 4-5.

The Rams host the Seahawks at SoFi Stadium at Sunday, and are still firmly in control of their own destiny the second half of the season, with five more games against NFC West teams and five of their last eight games at home, where the Rams are 3-0.

L.A. also is bolstered by a 5-1 record in the NFC conference, which helps them in some, playoff tiebreaking scenarios. If they postseason started this week, the Rams would be the No. 7 seed.

“We know what the last eight games have on the schedule,” Rams head coach Sean McVay said last week. “If you don't take care of that first game of that eight-game stretch, those other games at the back-half of the schedule don’t become as relevant or as meaningful.

“We know what kind of challenge the Seattle Seahawks will bring when they come here, and we have a tremendous amount of respect for them and familiarity. We’re looking forward to getting an opportunity to compete and go get our sixth (win).”


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Eric D. Williams
ERIC D. WILLIAMS

Eric D. Williams covers the Rams for Sports Illustrated. He worked for seven seasons covering the Los Angeles Chargers for ESPN.com, and before that served as the beat reporter covering the Seattle Seahawks for the Tacoma News Tribune.