The Rams passed up the opportunity to clinch a playoff berth in Week 15, only needing a win or tie against the Jets to make that happen. However, they’ll have another chance to punch their ticket to the postseason in Week 16, with three paths to clinching a playoff spot in the NFC.
According to a release from the NFL on Tuesday, here’s how the Rams could clinch a postseason berth this week.
- Rams win/tie vs. Seahawks OR
- Bears lose/tie vs. Jaguars OR
- Cardinals win/tie vs. 49ers
It’s hard to see the Bears losing to the 1-13 Jaguars, but anything’s possible (see: Week 15). The Cardinals are 4.5-point home favorites against the 49ers on Saturday, so they’re expected to win that game and improve their own playoff chances. If they do win, the Rams will clinch a playoff berth before even taking the field on Sunday.
But the Rams don’t want to rely on someone else to help them clinch a playoff spot. They want to do it on their own with a win over Seattle, especially after getting embarrassed by the Jets this past weekend.
By beating the Seahawks, the Rams wouldn’t clinch the NFC West, but they would knock Seattle out of the driver’s seat, needing only a win or a Seahawks loss in Week 17 to lock up the division. Winning this weekend would do wonders for the Rams’ confidence, too, especially if they can get the offense back on track.
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