The Los Angeles Rams have managed to claw their way from a 1-3 start to getting a taste of the playoffs. As it stands, the Rams managed to get above .500 and defeat one of the top teams in the AFC to do it. Puka Nacua, Matthew Stafford, Cooper Kupp, and Kyren Williams are all settling into the offense many expected from Day 1.
Well, it’s better late than never. However, the job is far from done. The 49ers loom on the schedule this week as what would seem like a three-foot putt for the Rams. However, as golfers know, those are the true round killers. This could definitely be the case for the Rams this week, and it isn’t all mathematical.
Los Angeles Rams Will Be In Trouble With Loss
At this point, the Rams have every reason to celebrate. If they can beat the Bills, then they can beat everyone. However, can they beat themselves?
Assuming that they have arrived and waltzing into the 49ers game on Thursday like they own the team they barely survived in the first matchup could be a recipe for disaster.
Not only that, but it would display that the Los Angeles Rams now have a mental block holding them under the winning bar. In other words, they forgot how to win.
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This is an opportunity on Thursday Night Football to announce to the league that the 2021 Super Bowl champions are back in the NFC picture.
Right now, they stand on the cusp of transitioning from getting by, to announcing their arrival. If they can win against the 49ers, they will have proven the ability to conquer their demons and prove that they are not just better than others sometimes, but most of the time. In other words, they expect to win.
Right now at 7-6, they hope to win every game. This game sets expectations for the next month.
Mathematical Complications
Mathematically speaking, the Rams have to catch either the Commanders or the Seahawks. The Commanders appear to have an easy path to locking up their spot with games against the Saints, Falcons, and Cowboys in three of their last four games.
This leaves the Los Angeles Rams to chase the 8-5 Seahawks who face the Packers, Vikings, and Rams. If the Rams shrink to 7-7 and the Seahawks win against the Packers to jump to 9-5, the Rams will have little to no control over their destiny. However, if they jump to 8-6 and can keep within a game of the Seahawks, the Week 18 game could be a win-and-in affair.
At this point, that is what the Rams should be aiming for. If the Rams can coast to victory over the 49ers and take their newfound confidence into big wins over the Jets and Cardinals, they will all likely be in control of the race.
As such, the game against the 49ers sets the Los Angeles Rams up for a month of praying or a toe-to-toe race against Seattle with most likely a winner-take-all fight to end the year. The division took the scenic route to get to this point, but now the Rams have a chance to get on the winner’s highway. Will they miss the turn?