'We've Earned It!' Playoff Odds Skyrocket; Rams Control Their Destiny

'We've Earned It!' Los Angeles Playoff Odds Skyrocket; Matthew Stafford-Led Rams Control Their Destiny

Before the start of this 2023 NFL season, the Los Angeles Rams were what we might call "cleverly frank'' about what this season might entail. 

They balked at the word "rebuilt,'' preferring "remodel.'' They kept quiet about the future of QB Matthew Stafford, preferring to let a naturally touchy situation - An expensive and "old'' quarterback on a "non-contending team''? Whatever will they do? And they started slow, opening with a 3-5 record in their first eight.

But suddenly, a complete flip. With the "Thursday Night Football'' win over the Saints, the Rams are 8-7. They are now the No. 6-stacked team in the NFC Playoff race. And per the New York Times computer, they now have a 72-percent chance of reaching the postseason.

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“We earned the opportunity to be at this point, in my opinion,” said Stafford, who keyed this 30-22 win with his 328 passing yards and two touchdowns, “We’ve had stakes since the bye, so I’m just proud of the way these guys have put their head down, gone to work and shown up.”

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And the beauty of it now, with two games left in the regular season? L.A. - which plays at the Giants and at the 49ers to close - controls its own destiny.

All Los Angeles is focused on is the final two games of the season, knowing two wins will get them into the playoffs. However, it’s hard not to look around the rest of the NFC and start playing out scenarios to see which teams might get a wild-card berth.