SI Power Rankings: Rams Slide in Week 16 Despite Riding 3-Game Win Streak

How do the Rams stack up in Sports Illustrated's latest power rankings entering Week 16?

While it wasn't quite the signature win that the Los Angeles Rams displayed a week ago over the Arizona Cardinals, a second-half surge on Tuesday night against the Seattle Seahawks was all they would need to defeat a division rival, 20-10, thanks in part to a stout defensive performance.

As for how they stack up against the rest of the league, Sports Illustrated released its power rankings Wednesday morning as they assess the results from the start of the season to where each team sits at this point now.

Rams power rank: T-6

Last week: vs. Seattle Seahawks

Next week: at Minnesota Vikings

After two consecutive weeks in which the Rams have climbed the rankings, they fall two spots in Week 16 despite riding a 3-game win streak. The Rams come in tied at No. 6 alongside the Buffalo Bills and Tampa Bay Buccaneers in this week's order.

SI writer Gary Gramling, who compiled the rankings this week, stated the following about the Rams:

"It was an underwhelming performance on Tuesday against a not-very-good division rival, but you can give the Rams a pass considering the reschedule wackiness. But they look like they’re past their late-November, work-the-new-faces-in slump, and for the first time Sean McVay heads into January with a bona fide superstar quarterback on his side."

Perhaps Gramling's reason in which the Rams dropped two spots comes as a result of the sluggish first-half start to Tuesday night's game. The Seahawks, who now sit four games under .500, gave L.A. difficulties for the greater part of the first two quarters.

While the Rams bounced back en route to a victory of a 10-point margin, they wind up sitting lower in the rankings than last week, when they broke inside the top five.

Kickoff for the Rams' Week 16 matchup against the Vikings is scheduled for Sunday, Dec. 26 at 10:00 a.m. PT inside U.S Bank Stadium.

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Nick Cothrel is the publisher of Ram Digest. Follow Nick and Ram Digest on Twitter @NickCothrel & @RamDigestSI for more Rams coverage.