NFC playoff picture: Where do Rams stand after Week 13 win?

The Rams rose to the No. 3 seed in the conference after beating the Cardinals on Sunday.

There was a lot on the line for the Los Angeles Rams in Week 13 as the regular season comes down to the final stretch. A loss to the Cardinals would’ve dropped the Rams all the way to the No. 7 seed, putting them in a tie with Arizona at 7-5. A win would’ve improved their playoff odds further, with the possibility of taking the NFC West lead from the Seahawks.

Well, Week 13 went just about as well as the Rams could’ve hoped. They beat the Cardinals 38-28 at State Farm Stadium, pushing their record to 8-4. The Seahawks were stunned by the Giants at home, losing that game 17-12, also dropping their record to 8-4.

Thanks to the head-to-head tiebreaker, the Rams hold an edge over Seattle in the NFC West, reclaiming the division lead that they lost just a week ago. So where does that put the Rams in the overall playoff picture? Well, they’re in much better shape than they were last week.

Here are the latest NFC standings with each team’s Week 14 opponent (the 49ers play on Monday night against the Bills).

  1. Saints (10-2): at Eagles
  2. Packers (9-3): at Lions
  3. Rams (8-4): vs. Patriots
  4. Giants (5-7): vs. Cardinals
  5. Seahawks (8-4): vs. Jets
  6. Buccaneers (7-5): vs. Vikings
  7. Vikings (6-6): at Buccaneers
  8. Cardinals (6-6): at Giants
  9. 49ers (5-6): vs. Bills in Week 13, vs. Washington in Week 14

According to FiveThirtyEight’s playoff predictions, which are based on their Elo forecast, the Rams have a 98% chance to make the playoffs, a 59% chance to win the NFC West and a 3% chance to win the Super Bowl.

Prior to Week 13, the Rams had an 89% chance to make the postseason but only a 27% chance to win the division. Their odds of clinching a first-round bye with the No. 1 seed are still extremely long, being two games behind the Saints, but as long as the Rams get into the postseason, they’ll have a chance at making a run.

If L.A. beats the Patriots and Jets in the next two weeks, they’ll lock up a playoff berth and have a 69% chance to win the division, according to FiveThirtyEight. And regardless of what the Seahawks do, if the Rams win their next three games, they’ll clinch the NFC West in Week 16.