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Who’s No. 1?
Not the Rams. Not for now anyway.
Earlier than final Sunday’s sport in opposition to the Carolina Panthers, the Rams held the No. 1 seed within the NFC.
After their defeat, the Rams (9-3) are No. 2 heading into Sunday’s sport in opposition to the Arizona Cardinals (3-9) at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz.
The Chicago Bears (9-3) presently maintain the highest spot.
How carefully are Rams coach Sean McVay and his gamers monitoring the race for the No. 1 seed — and home-field benefit for the playoffs?
“It’s not necessary to me in any respect,” McVay stated.
Quarterback Matthew Stafford apparently feels the identical.
“That’s the very last thing on my thoughts in the meanwhile,” he stated.
Understandably so.
The Panthers ended the Rams’ six-game profitable streak and knocked the Rams from their perch atop the NFC.
The Rams try to regain momentum and keep atop the NFC West.
“Final week serves as an exceptional reminder of… you get all forward of your self, we gained’t even be within the playoffs if we’re not cautious,” McVay stated.
Or, as receiver Davante Adams put it: “They had been simply singing our praises every week in the past, and now, ‘We suck’ simply because we exit and don’t win the sport.”
Barring a whole collapse, the Rams seem on their strategy to the postseason. However the Seattle Seahawks (9-3) and the San Francisco 49ers (9-4) — additionally of the NFC West — are among the many groups that stay in competition for the highest seed.
That is the time of 12 months when playoff projections are omnipresent.
“I’m not naive to the truth that each time you flip on NFL Community or ESPN otherwise you’re watching video games… and it pops up,” McVay stated. “Our guys see it, however I believe they’re additionally sensible sufficient and humble sufficient to know that none of it actually issues. … It’s one thing that you simply’re conscious of, however it doesn’t transfer the needle for us in any respect.”
In his first eight seasons with the Rams, McVay led them to the Tremendous Bowl twice, and neither highway included house video games for each spherical.
In 2018, the Rams had a bye within the wild-card spherical, after which defeated the Dallas Cowboys on the Coliseum and the New Orleans Saints within the Superdome en path to Tremendous Bowl LIII, the place they misplaced to the New England Patriots.
In 2021, the Rams didn’t have a bye. They defeated the Cardinals at SoFi Stadium, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Tampa and the San Francisco 49ers at SoFi Stadium to advance to Tremendous Bowl LVI. The Rams defeated the Cincinnati Bengals at SoFi Stadium to win the title.
After Sunday’s sport, the Rams play host to the Detroit Lions after which play a “Thursday Evening Soccer” sport at Seattle. They journey to Atlanta to play the Falcons, and end the season at house in opposition to the Cardinals.
“When you stated, ‘would I be happier if we ended up having the ability to be able the place meaning we gained extra video games that possibly gave you an opportunity to get an automated bid to the Division Spherical?’ Yeah, after all,” McVay stated.
The final two seasons, the Rams had been eradicated from the playoffs on the highway.
In 2023, the Lions beat them in a wild-card sport at Ford Subject. Final season, the Rams misplaced within the divisional spherical at Philadelphia to the eventual Tremendous Bowl-champion Eagles.
“I don’t assume being on the highway had something to do with us developing brief in these video games,” McVay stated.
If the Rams have clinched the No. 1 seed or a playoff spot earlier than the finale in opposition to the Cardinals, McVay, as he did the previous few seasons, may decide to relaxation most starters.
“We’re skilled to do no matter is true in entrance of us and if that’s to go play a sport for this seed, all of the marbles or no matter it’s, we’ll go do it,” Stafford stated. “If it’s to take a seat, relaxation and care for your self, you do this.
“We’re not wherever close to that dialog in the meanwhile. We’re laser targeted on Arizona and attempting to get the end result that we wish.”
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