The NFC West race has been heating up the past few weeks and there’s a new leader atop the standings as the Los Angeles Rams moved into first place after the Sunday slate of games in Week 15 ended.
The Rams kicked off the week on Thursday Night Football, beating the San Francisco 49ers in a rainy 12-6 affair. Los Angeles swept the regular season series against San Francisco, but more importantly improved to 8-6 to position themselves to win the division.
The Seattle Seahawks entered the weekend atop the NFC West, but their loss to the Green Bay Packers dropped them to 8-6 and in second place. The Rams beat the Seahawks earlier in the season in Week 8 26-20 and thus own the tiebreaker. However, the two teams will play one more time in Week 18 and that could carry heavy playoff seeding ramifications.
Meanwhile, the Arizona Cardinals picked up an easy win over the New England Patriots to stay in the hunt at 7-7 though they dropped both of their games against Seattle. That would make it much harder for them to win the division should the Seahawks end up winning out over the Rams.
Then there are the 49ers who are technically still alive in the playoff race, though their chances of making it are slim to none.
— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) December 16, 2024
The Rams controls their destiny the rest of the way as they take on the New York Jets in Week 16 before matchups against Arizona and Seattle to close out the 2024 season. Although the Jets have struggled this year, they’ve seen an uptick offensively the past couple of weeks and won’t be an easy victory for the Rams.
Meanwhile, the Seahawks draw a much tougher opponent in Week 16 as they’ll take on the Minnesota Vikings before they see the Chicago Bears and the Rams. Minnesota also has a lot to play for as they could claim the NFC North, while Chicago has been competitive despite their losing streak.
Arizona has an easier path to winning out as they draw the Carolina Panthers next week, followed by L.A. and San Francisco. The 49ers could be officially eliminated from the postseason race next week when they play the Miami Dolphins. They’ll then see the Detroit Lions and Cardinals.
Kyren Williams believes Rams sweeping the 49ers makes them the big brothers now
San Francisco’s historically owned Los Angeles in the regular season, but after the latter swept the series Kyren Williams believes the Rams are the big brothers now.
