Having nothing to play for
For the first time in the Sean McVay era, the Rams will play a (mostly) meaningless game. No playoff implications, no impact on the standings, no Pro Bowl to campaign for. Heck, this game won’t even affect the Rams’ first-round pick in 2020 – because they don’t have one.
This will be a new kind of feeling for the top players, given the success they’ve had over the last two seasons. Will they come out flat and lacking energy? Will their tackling suffer? McVay is convinced he has the right players in the locker room to compete in a situation like this, but it’s hard to imagine the Rams coming out as intense and physical as they normally do.