The Rams got a little help from their bitter rivals on Monday night at CenturyLink Field. The Seattle Seahawks beat the Minnesota Vikings 37-30, not only taking over the NFC West lead, but also pulling the Rams one game closer to catching the Vikings for a wild-card berth.
Los Angeles went into Week 13 two games back of Minnesota and handled its business by beating the Cardinals 34-7, moving to 7-5 on the year. With the Vikings losing and falling to 8-4, the Rams are now just one game back for the sixth seed in the NFC.
Incredibly, after it seemed like the Rams had very little chance of making the playoffs, their chances are still alive and well. In fact, they can take over the No. 6 seed in the conference as early as Sunday night. It’s fairly simple, too.
They move to No. 6 in the NFC if:
- Rams beat Seahawks AND Vikings lose to Lions
Both teams would be 8-5 and the Rams would hold the tiebreaker based on conference record. They don’t play the Vikings this season, so head-to-head won’t come into play, but Minnesota has one fewer game against the NFC remaining so the Rams are technically in control of that tiebreaker.
If the Rams happen to lose to the Seahawks in Week 14 and the Vikings beat Detroit, which many expect to happen, it’ll set Los Angeles back significantly. They would have to overcome a two-game deficit in three weeks, having to face the Cowboys, 49ers and Cardinals to close out the year.
The Rams would need to win at least two of their last three and have the Vikings lose at least two of their final three games, too. Minnesota faces the Lions, Chargers, Packers and Bears the rest of the way.