Winner of Rams-Cardinals will face Buccaneers in divisional round

With the 49ers beating Dallas, the Rams will avoid the Packers in the divisional round and instead face the Bucs if they win Monday

The Los Angeles Rams still have to take care of business on Monday night, but they now know who they’ll face in the divisional round of the playoffs if they beat the Arizona Cardinals. With the San Francisco 49ers upsetting the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday, the Rams avoid a trip to Lambeau Field next week if they advance.

Instead, the Packers will host the 49ers in the second round and the winner of the Rams-Cardinals game will head to Tampa Bay to take on the Buccaneers. That’s a break for the Rams because not only is Raymond James Stadium an easier venue to win in than Lambeau Field, but the Packers are also better than the Buccaneers.

Not to mention, the Rams already beat the Buccaneers this season, cruising to a 34-24 victory back in Week 3. They lost the Packers, 36-28, in Week 12, which was their third consecutive loss.

Again, the Rams still have get past the Cardinals and there’s no chance anyone in the locker room is looking ahead to next weekend, but the path to a conference championship game just got a bit easier for the Rams.

And coincidentally, they have the 49ers to thank for it.

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