Rams' Playoff Chances Skyrocket After Road Win

The Los Angeles Rams' win over the New York Jets inched them closer to a playoff berth.

Dec 22, 2024; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Los Angeles Rams running back Kyren Williams (23) celebrates his touchdown with teammates during the first half against the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images / Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

After going on the road and beating the New York Jets on Sunday, the Los Angeles Rams moved closer to securing a playoff spot.

At 9-6, the Rams have multiple legitimate routes to the playoffs, but one guarantees an invaluable home playoff game.

The Rams' win and the Arizona Cardinals, Seattle Seahawks, and San Francisco 49ers' losses on Sunday were everything the Rams could have asked for. Los Angeles now sits atop the NFC West, with home games against the Cardinals and Seahawks coming up next.

Ben Rolfe of Pro Football Network noted how Sunday's win did for the Rams' playoff hopes.

"With all three NFC West teams losing in Week 16, the Rams control their own destiny, as any scenario where Los Angeles gets to 10.5 wins will give them the NFC West title and a home playoff game on Wild Card Weekend," Rolfe said.

"The clearest path is this — if the Rams win in Week 17 against the Cardinals, the Seahawks won’t be able to win the NFC West, even if they win their game against the Chicago Bears The Rams would move to 10-6, and the Seahawks would move to 9-7 with a Week 18 showdown looming. But remember that the Rams hold the tiebreaker, so even if the Seahawks beat the Rams in Week 18, Los Angeles would get the nod.

"If the Rams lose in Week 17 and the Seahawks win, it will be a winner-take-all game in Week 18. If both teams lose, it will also be a winner-take-all game," Rolfe said. "The magic number is one for the Rams — but they would be playing with fire if they let it come down to a win-or-go-home scenario.

Rolfe noted that the Rams can either win the NFC West and go to the playoffs or make it as a Wild Card. While a playoff berth is a playoff berth, they are not all the same.

"If they don’t win the NFC West, there’s still a chance the Rams can secure the Wild Card spot with nine wins, but it’s complicated and requires several things to go their way," Rolfe said. "If that remains possible after this week, then it will potentially be much less convoluted entering Week 17, and those scenarios will be laid out accordingly."

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