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Where do the Rams stand entering Week 18?

Where do the Rams stand entering Week 18?

Sakege08 mins

The Los Angeles Rams (10-6) earned their fourth NFC West title in the last eight years after doing so last weekend. The Rams handled business in a 13-9 victory over the division rival Arizona Cardinals (7-9) and got help from other teams to secure the tiebreaker.

This Rams team has won five straight games and nine of their last 11 to clinch the division heading into the final week of the season. It truly has been one of the most remarkable comebacks for a team that started 1-4 and had no hope of making the playoffs after the first month of the season.

With not much at stake in their Week 18 matchup against the Seattle Seahawks (9-7), the Rams will rest many of their key starters to avoid injuries in the final week of the regular season. Even with a loss, the Rams will still host a first-round playoff game at SoFi Stadium.

Where do the Rams stand heading into their Week 18 matchup against the Seattle Seahawks?

Connor Orr focused on giving credit to the Rams defense and the impressive performances they have been showing week in and week out. He referred to the Rams’ last three opponents scoring fewer than 10 points, something that almost never happens in the NFL.

“While this is an incredibly random sample size, and in this same sample size the Raiders are the number one defense in the NFL in terms of EPA per play, the Rams have been one of the best defenses in the NFL during the last month,” Orr wrote. “Sean McVay’s club is winning shootouts, but it’s also gone three straight weeks without allowing double-digit points (one of those games was in inclement weather, though another was against a Jets team at home in cold weather, which which would seem to be disadvantageous).

Eric Edholm made sure to acknowledge how special it has been for this team to come out of the gutter and achieve something out of nothing this season. He also noted that the Rams have something to play for this week, as they could be at risk of losing third place with a loss.

“The Rams’ tremendous comeback after their 1-4 start to the season cannot be overlooked, as they are just the 12th team since 1990 to make the playoffs, and just the ninth to win their division, after such a start. “Edholm wrote. “They’ve been in virtually every game since mid-September and have two of the best, Sean McVay and Matthew Stafford, in the two most important roles in football come the playoffs. Still, the offense could use some stimulus. The Rams scored 44 points against the Bills in Week 14, then scored that same amounttotalin their last three games combined. They are in an interesting place. Week 18 is not without meaning for them; They risk falling from third place (meaning they would host the Packers or Commanders) to fourth place (meaning they would likely face the Lions or Vikings) with a loss to Seattle. In a similar position a year ago, McVay rested some starters, including Stafford, before the playoffs. Whatever McVay decides to do this time, questioning him is far from me. You’ve gained a bit of credibility, you know?

Nate Davis revealed a curious fact about the Rams’ method of entering the playoffs this year. Tied with the Seahawks in overall record, division record and common opponent record, they had to resort to the fourth tiebreaker, which was the strength of the schedule. The Rams finally found a way.

“Did you know that they are the first team to win a division thanks to the tiebreaker on the strength of victory?” Davis wrote. “I’ll need more strong wins in the coming weeks. They remind you a little of the 2023 Rams, who entered the postseason at a good time before losing by one point to Detroit in the wild card round.”

David Helman also praised this group for where they started and where they are now with one week left in the regular season. The Rams looked like sellers at the trade deadline who would be keeping an eye on the upcoming draft. Instead, they will fight for another Super Bowl.

“I’ll never get over the Rams’ trip this season,” Helman wrote. “From the 1st to the 4th in October, debating whether they should trade Cooper Kupp, to winning the division with a week left to play. They have shown that they can light up the scoreboards and keep their opponents under 10 points. A true “pretender” a contender.”history.”

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