The Los Angeles Rams are one win away from essentially punching their ticket to the 2023 postseason after a 3-6 start. At one point, the team was one win away from de facto elimination but now they’re one win away from essentially calling the year a success. With one more win, the team will clinch a winning season one year after limping through a nightmare of a year in 2022.
Not only would a win prove that the team can rebound in a seemingly lost season, but it also would prove that Sean McVay and the organization as a whole can rebound after a down year. There aren’t a lot of teams that can rebound in a year, but with one more win, an argument can be made for the Rams.
However, the temptation is for players, coaches, and fans to count the wins before they happen, especially with seemingly an easy win on deck. The Giants have run out of gas with Tommy DeVito and the Giants will be putting their hopes on Tyrod Taylor. Taylor played hard on Christmas against the Philadelphia Eagles, proving that he can upset a team that is not taking him seriously.
Rather, a defense that doesn’t take him seriously could put the team in a hole on the East Coast. It will be up to defensive coordinator Raheem Morris to tighten up a unit that has been somewhat up and down over the last several weeks, especially late in games.
Last week, the Rams gave up a quick touchdown to let the New Orleans Saints back into the contest late. Before that, the team gave up 20 points to the Washington Commanders in the second half.
It will also be up to Morris to quickly dissect what worked about Tyrod Taylor’s 25-point performance against the Philadelphia Eagles. The Eagles see the New York Giants on a consistent basis and still managed to surrender 25 points in Taylor’s first start.
If it takes him even just the first half of the game to catch up to the Giants offense, Matthew Stafford‘s side of the ball will be dealing with the pressure of winning potentially late in addition to the pressure of essentially clinching the playoffs in the second half.
Ideally, it would be best for Morris to let the offense contend with only one layer of pressure on New Year’s Eve. If not, the pressure will compound on Matthew Stafford at the end of a long, tiring climb from the doldrums back to relevance. The Rams don’t want that for their quarterback.
Related: Why Rams Week 17 Game Is Most Critical Among Playoff Contenders