The Arizona Cardinals are in the postseason and will be at least a wild card team after their final two games of the regular season. However, for the first time this season, they now trail in the NFC West standings. They are one game behind the Los Angeles Rams.
The Rams overtook the Cardinals with a 30-23 win over the Minnesota Vikings, improving to 11-4, while the Cardinals lost 22-16 to the Indianapolis Colts, dropping them to 10-5.
With two games to go in the regular season, the Cardinals can still win the NFC West.
There are two scenarios.
In one, the Cardinals must win both remaining games, on the road against the Dallas Cowboys and at home against the Seattle Seahawks. The Rams must lose at least one of their final two games, on the road against the Baltimore Ravens or at home against the San Francisco 49ers. The Cardinals would be 12-5 and the Rams either are 12-5 or 11-6. If the Rams finish 12-5 with the Cardinals, Arizona wins the division with a 5-1 division record over L.A.’s 4-2.
In the other, if the Rams lose their final two games, the Cardinals can lose to Dallas and still win the division by beating the Seahawks. They would both be 11-6 but the Cardinals win by the divisional tiebreaker again.
Of course, with the Cardinals having lost their last three games and the Rams having won their last four, unless something changes quickly, it feels like how the standings are is how they will finish in two weeks.
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