The Los Angeles Rams will head into the final week of the season with only two potential playoff seeding scenarios. They will either be the No. 6 or 7 seed in the NFC, and it all depends how their game against the San Francisco 49ers goes, as well as whether the Green Bay Packers can beat the Chicago Bears.
As a result, the Rams will face either the Rams, Lions or Eagles in the first round of the playoffs, with the Lions being their likeliest opponent based on Week 18 projections.
Here’s a look at the scenarios for the Rams to finish either sixth or seventh in the NFC heading into the final week of the season.
- Rams win/tie vs. 49ers
It’s pretty simple for the Rams to clinch the No. 6 seed: win or tie against the 49ers. As long as they don’t lose on Sunday, they’ll have the sixth seed. The 49ers could be resting their starters in the finale after clinching the top seed and a first-round bye, so that helps the Rams as they attempt to snap their nine-game regular-season losing streak to San Francisco.
- Rams lose vs. 49ers AND Packers win vs. Bears
The Packers are the only team that can overtake the Rams for the No. 6 seed, so their game against the Bears is the only other matchup that can affect Los Angeles’ seeding. If the Rams lose and the Packers beat Chicago, Green Bay will be the No. 6 seed based on its head-to-head tiebreaker over Los Angeles.
The Packers and Bears also play at 4:25 p.m. ET, so the Rams won’t know that result before kickoff. As of now, Green Bay is a 3-point home favorite over the Bears.